Argus News - Semifinal Spot on the Line: Can India U19 Seal the Berth or Pakistan Pulls off a Miracle?

New Delhi, Jan 31: With the last semifinal spot on the line at the ICC U19 Men’s World Cup, India and Pakistan will battle it out on Sunday at the Queens Sports Club Ground in Bulawayo to grab the opportunity.

As England and Afghanistan joined Australia in the semifinals after recording convincing wins on Friday, leaving India and Pakistan, who face off in their final Super Six match, to contest for the final remaining spot.

Equation for the Semifinal Berth

India’s equation is pretty straightforward. A win against Pakistan will ensure they qualify for the final four as the top-ranked team from Group 2. A defeat, however, could spice things up if Pakistan get the net run-rate into play.

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For Pakistan, simply winning the match won’t be enough to close the net run-rate gap with India. They would require a victory by a huge margin to leapfrog India in the standings and secure a place in the semifinals.

If Pakistan bat first, they would need to win by 105 runs or more to finish second in the Group 2 standings and qualify for the semifinals at India’s expense. However, if they end up chasing, then Pakistan would need to achieve whatever target India set at a pretty fast pace.

For instance, if Pakistan have to chase a target of 251, they would have to do so in 29.4 overs or fewer to progress through to the knockouts. And if the target is lower, Pakistan would have to chase it marginally quicker.

Replacement Approved

Abdul Qadir has been approved as a replacement for wicketkeeper Mohammad Shayan in the Pakistan squad ahead of their final Super Six match against the arch rivals India.

(IANS)