MUSCAT: Usman Khan 139 Pakistan U19 Asia Cup opener was a statement innings, as the defending champions began their title defence with a crushing nine-wicket win over the United Arab Emirates. The left-handed opener struck an unbeaten 139 from 120 balls, hitting 21 fours and one six, and Pakistan chased down a target of 225 in just 37.3 overs at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman on Friday. It was the perfect start to the tournament for a team that won the last edition in style.
The Pakistan U19 nine wicket win UAE 225 chase was completed with 75 balls to spare, and it barely looked like a contest after the first few overs of the reply. Pakistan lost only one wicket in the whole chase, and the batsmen never let the required rate climb, which is exactly how a defending champion is supposed to start a tournament. The win gives Pakistan an early boost in Group A, which also features India and Nepal, and it sends a message to every other team in the eight-team event.
The Usman Khan fourth century Youth ODI milestone shows how consistent the young opener has become, and this was not a lucky innings. Usman brought up his century from 98 balls, hitting 14 boundaries by that stage, and then he accelerated further to guide Pakistan home unbeaten. He had also struck a century during Pakistan Under-19s 177-run victory over England Under-19s in September, and he was named player of the match for this innings as well. Four centuries in youth one-day cricket is a record that marks a batsman out as special.
The Jahangir Bilal 60 opening partnership 153 runs set up the chase, and the two openers batted together with calm and control. Bilal made a composed 60 off 87 balls, including six fours, before he was finally dismissed, and by then the match was already won in all but name. Abdul Qadir finished the job with 20 not out off 19 balls, and Pakistan reached 225 for one with Usman still at the crease, unbeaten on 139. The partnership showed that this Pakistan team bats deep and plays without fear.
The bowling had done its job first, with fast bowler Mohammad Sayyam claiming three wickets as the UAE were bowled out for 224 in 50 overs. Pakistan won the toss at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground and captain Farhan Yousaf chose to field first, and the bowlers kept the UAE batsmen under pressure through the innings. A target of 225 was never going to be enough against a batting line-up in this form, and the chase proved that the bowlers had set the match up well.
The Pakistan U19 India match November 8 is the next test for the defending champions, and it is the match every fan in both countries will be watching. Pakistan will return to action against their arch-rivals India in their second Group A match on Sunday at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground, and the winners will take a big step towards the semi-finals. Pakistan defeated India by 191 runs in last December’s final in Dubai to lift the previous edition’s title, so India will be keen to settle the score.
The ACC U19 Asia Cup final November 14 is the date Pakistan will aim for, with the semi-finals scheduled for 12 November and the tournament running until 14 November. Pakistan will take on Nepal on 10 November after the India match, and the group standings after those three games will decide who goes through. The defending champions have started as they mean to go on, but the tournament is long, and the games against India and in the knockout rounds will be far harder than the opener.
Usman Khan is the name to watch in this tournament, and his innings against the UAE showed why. He is a left-handed opener who scores quickly without taking wild risks, and his 21 fours show that he finds the boundary with timing rather than slogging. He stayed calm when the target was set, he built his innings in stages, and he finished the job himself rather than leaving it to others. If he keeps batting like this, Pakistan will be hard to stop.
Readers should keep one small point in mind about the score. Most reports agree that Pakistan reached 225 for one in 37.3 overs, but one report put the total at 228 for one, and one report counted 20 fours rather than 21, so the exact figures differ slightly between sources. The match result itself is beyond doubt, and so is the size of Usman’s innings, which was the difference between the two teams on the day.
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