Watch: Opener Adarsh Singh was bounced out from the first ball of India’s chase in the U19 World Cup semi-final against South Africa, giving the hosts the best possible start to the innings.
South Africa posted a score of 244-7 in the final in Benoni, putting them in a good position to qualify for the final. India failed to score more than her 227 points in the U19 World Cup so far and soon she was 0-1.
Kwena Mapaka bowled the first ball of the chase and Singh scored the first ball. When Mapaka hit the first pitch of the inning, the ball exploded off the surface and landed at Shin’s shoulder height. Shin was surprised by the impact of the ball, but he tried to defend but got tangled up. His hands were far away from his body as he continued to try to keep his feet off the ground and protect the ball. The ball bounced off his glove and happily flew to the goalkeeper.
Mr. Mapaka immediately spread his arms in congratulations and departed, but Mr. Singh left with a disappointed expression on his face. Singh scored 191 runs for India in the U-19 World Cup and his highest score was 76. Mafaka is the top wicket-taker in the competition, with 19 of his wickets in six matches and an exceptional tournament average of 9.78.
Things went from bad to worse for India from the start of the innings, eventually falling to 25-3. Tristan Roos beat Mushir Khan with another bouncer in the fourth over before taking the second from Arshin Kulkarni in the final over of the powerplay.
The final is scheduled to be held on February 11 and the second semi-final between Australia and Pakistan on February 8.
Watch: India lose opener first ball of their chase in U19 World Cup semi-final
Subscribe to the Wisden Cricket YouTube channel for post-match analysis, player interviews, and much more.
