The U19 World Cup semi-final between Australia and Pakistan turned out to be a nail-biting encounter that had fans on the edge of their seats. The low-scoring clash was full of thrilling moments. Both teams showcased top-notch bowling skills, but in the end, the junior Aussie side clinched victory by just 1 wicket in a nail-biting contest. The match saw an individual battle between Aussie pacer Callum Vidler and Pakistani opener Shahzaid Khan.
In the 10th over of the Pakistan innings bowled by Callum Vidler, the fast bowler gave a signal to the Pakistan U19 batter that he was about to deliver a bouncer. However, Vidler strategically followed up with a well-executed good-length delivery outside the off-stump. The batter, seemingly frustrated by the warning, succumbed to the pressure and made a costly mistake.
Shahzaid Khan attempted a drive, but he couldn’t keep the shot grounded, resulting in the ball finding its way into Hugh Weibgen’s hands. With this, Pakistan lost their 2nd wicket under the power-play, with only 29 runs on the board. The wicket proved crucial for the Aussies, given that Shahzaid Khan is the highest run-scorer for the Pakistan side in the tournament, accumulating 264 runs in 6 matches. Following his dismissal, Pakistan’s batting lineup began to crumble, eventually being bowled out for a total of 179 runs.
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However, Pakistan bowlers put up a tough fight while defending a total of 179 runs. The Australia U19 side also experienced a collapse in their batting, finding themselves at 164 for 9 at one point, requiring 16 runs to win. Meanwhile, Pakistan needed just one more wicket to secure a spot in the final. In a crucial turn of events, Callum Vidler played another impactful cameo, providing support to Raf MacMillan after coming in to bat at number 11.
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In the last over, 3 runs were required for victory. On the very first ball of the over, Macmillan edged Mohammad Zeeshan’s delivery, which luckily raced away to the boundary. With this victory, Australia secured their place in the U19 World Cup 2024 final, where they are set to face India on February 11.
