India produced a remarkable late comeback to defeat Pakistan by one wicket in a last-ball thriller and clinch the Under-19 Asia Cup title in Al Amerat on Saturday. Chasing a daunting target of 338, India recovered from 252 for eight in the 42nd over to reach 339 for nine, with Mohit Ulva hitting the winning boundary off the final delivery.
With seven runs required from the final over, Pakistan’s Ahmed Hussain conceded five off the first five deliveries, including a wide. Needing three runs from the last ball, Ulva struck a drive over long-off to complete India’s dramatic victory, with Chigurupati Venkata providing support at the other end.
The decisive turnaround came through a 57-run ninth-wicket partnership between Manal Chauhan and Ulva, which came off just 35 deliveries. Chauhan made 47 off 32 balls, while Ulva remained unbeaten on 49. Their counter-attacking stand transformed a seemingly lost final into a memorable Indian triumph.
India still needed 29 runs from 16 deliveries when Chauhan was dismissed, but Ulva continued the assault alongside Venkata, who contributed an unbeaten 11 off eight balls in his first appearance of the tournament.
Earlier, India had struggled to keep pace with the required run rate despite a 95-run opening partnership between Lakshya Raichandani and Aaryavir Sehwag. Raichandani top-scored with 80 off 101 deliveries, while Sehwag battled an arm injury to score 58 off 61 balls.
India were 186 for three in the 33rd over before Pakistan’s bowlers tightened their grip. Rizwanullah claimed three wickets for 53 runs, triggering a middle-order collapse that saw India lose five wickets for 66 runs. Raichandani’s dismissal for 80 and Anvay Dravid’s run-out further strengthened Pakistan’s position before the late recovery.
Earlier, Pakistan posted 337 for nine after being asked to bat. Opener Usman Khan led the innings with 107, while Abdul Qadir smashed 80 off 54 deliveries and captain Farhan Yousaf added 63.
Usman and Qadir shared a 135-run partnership for the second wicket, putting Pakistan in a commanding position. The team reached 204 for two after 30 overs but lost momentum towards the end.
Kavya Paresh Patel spearheaded India’s bowling effort with four wickets for 68 runs, while Venkata claimed three for 40. Pakistan managed only 63 runs in the final ten overs, losing six wickets as India’s bowlers mounted a late recovery.
That momentum carried into the chase, where Ulva’s last-ball heroics sealed India’s one-wicket victory and the continental crown.
