IND A vs PAK A: India A have beaten Pakistan A by 8 wickets in their ACC Men's Emerging Cup face off in Colombo on Wednesday (July 19). While Pakistan A won the toss and elected to bat first, they only managed to post 205 in 48 overs with Rajvardhan Hangargekar scalping 5 wickets for 42 runs for India A. In response, the Yash Dull-led side reached their target in 36.4 overs with Sai Sudharsan getting to a hundred by finishing off the match with a six.
Pakistan had lost early wickets and were at one stage reeling at 95/6 but they did manage to recover from there and post what was a respectable total but it eventually proved to be insufficient. Credit for Pakistan A's recovery of sorts goes to Qasim Akram who top-scored with 48 off 63 balls.
In India A's run-chase, Abhishek Sharma and Sai Sudharsan got off to a brisk start with a flurry of boundaries. Pakistan A then did manage to keep a check on the run rate after the rapid India A start but they only got their first breakthrough in the 12th over by which time India A had scored 58 runs. Mubasir Khan tasted success. Pakistan A then had to wait long for their next wicket with Sai Sudharsan and Nikin Jose adding 99 runs for the second wicket.
Both of them scored their half-centuries in course of this partnership with Jose eventually getting out for 53. He was stumped off Mehran Mumtaz in the 37th over. Yash Dhull came out at number 4 and along with Sudharsan came back only after the job had been done.
Sudharshan finished off the chase with back-to-back sixes to ensure that he gets to a hundred to top off a memorable win. Both India A and Pakistan A have already sealed a place in the semis with India A to face Bangladesh A on July 21 and Pakistan A set to lock horns with Sri Lanka A on th same date.