Blockbuster Sunday awaits as India, Pakistan face off in U-19 Asia Cup final

New Delhi: India set up a mouthwatering final against Pakistan after defeating Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the ACC U-19 Asia Cup semifinal in Dubai on Friday.

The Boys in Blue will meet the Boys in Green for the second Sunday in a row and have a chance to win the junior continental title for a record-extending ninth time. India, who have entered their ninth final, have won the title outrightly seven times and finished as the joint-winners once in 2012.

Chasing 139, after rain curtailed the match to 20-overs-per-side, India suffered two early blows and lost their openers Ayush Mhatre and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi inside three overs.

But a sensational unbeaten 114-run stand between Aaron George (58 off 49) and Vihaan Malhotra (61 off 45) helped India survive a brief scare. Both batters played sensibly to steady the ship and gradually changed gears to take control as India overhauled the target in 18 overs.

India's victory earned them a spot in the final on Sunday against Pakistan, who defeated Bangladesh by eight wickets. The Men in Green first bowled out Bangladesh for just 121 in a rain-curtailed 27-overs-per-side match and then chased down the target in just 16.3 overs. Sameer Minhas (69 not out off 57 balls) and Abdul Subhan (4/20) were the top performers for the one-time joint winners.

This will be the third meeting between the two sides in the U-19 Asia Cup final. In 2012, India and Pakistan shared the trophy after the match ended in a tie, while in 2013-14, India won the final by 40 years. Overall, this is Pakistan's fourth final appearance in the tournament.

In the previous meeting last Sunday, India crushed their arch-rivals by 90 runs in a Group A clash. Aaron George's 85 with the bat and three-wicket hauls of Deepesh Devendran and Kanish Chouhan helped the Boys in Blue claim a massive victory.