India and Pakistan will face off in the ICC U19 World Cup 2026 on Sunday. In what is a repeat of the U19 Asia Cup Final, the two rivals will battle it out for a place in the semi-finals. Ayush Mhatre and Co had suffered a heavy defeat in the Asia Cup Final and will aim to rectify their mistakes when they take the field in Bulawayo on Sunday.
India will aim for revenge when they face off against Pakistan in the ICC U19 World Cup 2026 on Sunday. The IND vs PAK game is a virtual quarterfinal, with a place in the semi-finals up for grabs.
Ayush Mhatre and Co are unbeaten in the tournament so far with victories in all 3 games. However, the last time they played their arch-rivals, India suffered a heavy defeat in the U19 Asia Cup 2025 Final. The Men in Blue were bowled out for 156, losing the summit clash by a humiliating 191 runs.
Decision at the toss
In the Asia Cup Final, India captain Ayush Mhatre won the toss and opted to field first. While the conditions might favour batting second, pressure of chasing a huge score is always huge in a knockout match.
Pakistan batting first blasted a whopping 347/8. Sameer Minhas top scored with a giant 172, 16 more than the entire Indian team managed.
Play the long game
Chasing 348, India lost half their in the first 10 overs. None of their top order batters got a look in and took the game deep to try and attempt and chase the score down. Mhatre and Co batted just 26 overs in the chase, losing all 10 wickets in a flash.
3. Lack of "Plan B" for a Set Batter
Sameer Minhas’ 172 off 113 balls was one of the most dominant U19 performances in history. Indian bowlers struggled to adapt their lengths once he got set. There was a visible lack of variety—like slower balls or wide yorkers—to break his rhythm. Pakistan was allowed to stitch together massive partnerships (92 and 137 runs) without being seriously tested during the middle overs.
4. Not Let Emotion Dictate Outcome
The final was marred by heated on-field altercations involving captain Ayush Mhatre and Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Reports suggested that the emotional intensity of the rivalry might have distracted the players from their tactical execution. When temperament wavers, decision-making usually follows.
5. Over-Reliance on Individual Brilliance
Throughout the tournament, India relied on flashes of brilliance from stars like Suryavanshi. When the top order failed simultaneously in the final, there was no middle-order resistance to steady the ship. The fact that the No. 10 batter, Deepesh Devendran, was the top scorer (36) highlights a significant failure in the batting core's ability to handle a quality pace attack under pressure.
* Lesson: Build a middle-order "spine" that can grind out runs when the aggressive openers fail.
The BCCI has already called for a review of this performance. Would you like me to look into the current squad changes being made ahead of the next tournament?
