Star Indian batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who couldn’t score many runs against arch-rivals Pakistan in the league game of the ongoing U19 Asia Cup, picked a crucial wicket and broke a building partnership to help transfer the momentum to India’s side.
With a 41-run partnership built between Pakistan’s skipper Farhan Yousaf and Huzaifa Ahsan, India captain Ayush Mhatre turned to his opening partner to bowl an over of slow left-arm spin.
Yousaf smacked Vaibhav for a boundary on just the second delivery of the over and one expected that he would go for runs. He conceded just two runs off the next three balls and on the final ball of the over, substitute player Naman Pushpak caught Yousaf.
While Vaibhav is known for his hard-hitting batting, he is slowly making a name as a part-time bowler. He has two first-class wickets to his name as well.
Vaibhav has two wickets in Youth Tests as well, both of which came against the England U19 side in July. He dismissed skipper Hamza Sheikh (85) and wicketkeeper-batter Thomas Rew (34). He finished with an economy of 2.69.
Having bowled just four overs before Sunday, Vaibhav hadn’t picked up any wickets in Youth ODIs. Yousaf’s dismissal is his first in the format.
Earlier, after being put in to bat, India lost Vaibhav in the fourth over before Mhatre and Aaron George stitched together a 49-run partnership for the second wicket.
India soon slipped to 113/4 before George and Abhigyan Kundu put on a 60-run stand for the fifth wicket. Later, with the score at 174/6, Kanishk Chouhan and Khilan Patel added a further 33 runs for the seventh wicket.
After Kundu was dismissed by Sayyam, Kanishk Chouhan and Henil Patel added 31 runs for the eighth wicket. However, three wickets from Sayyam, along with strikes from Abdul Subhan, ensured India were bowled out for 240 in the 47th over.