The highly anticipated clash between the undefeated India and the host nation South Africa certainly lived up to its expectations in the first semi-final of the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2024.
In an exhilarating match that kept everyone on the edge of their seats, India emerged victorious after a hard-fought battle, thanks to exceptional performances by Uday Saharan and Sachin Dhas, who both scored impressive half-centuries.
With this win, Saharan's team now has the opportunity to defend their title in the final, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday, 11 February.
India will now eagerly await the outcome of the second semi-final match between Australia and Pakistan, which will determine their opponent in the title clash.
India secured a thrilling 2-wicket victory against South Africa in Benoni, with South Africa posting a total of 244/7 (50) and India successfully chasing it down with a score of 248/8 (48.5).
Interestingly, after losing the toss in their first four games, Uday Saharan finally got it right for the second time in a row and opted to field first. This decision marked the first instance in the tournament where India chose to bowl first, as they had previously batted in all five of their victorious matches.
Once again, South Africa's opener Steve Stolk showcased his aggressive style of play, hitting two boundaries in the first three overs and even smashing a maximum off Raj Limbani in the fifth over. However, it was the Indian paceman who had the last laugh, as Stolk's attempted cut resulted in an edge straight into the hands of the wicketkeeper.
Lhuan-dre Pretorius maintained his aggressive approach, hitting a six and a four against Naman Tiwari in the 8th over. However, Limbani was in top form and managed to dismiss David Teeger for a duck with an excellent inswinger.
Despite losing two wickets, Pretorius continued to play attacking shots, and South Africa's run rate was close to a run-a-ball by the end of the Powerplay.
Saharan decided to bring in his spinners, which effectively restricted South Africa's scoring. Only five boundaries were scored between overs 11 and 30.
Nevertheless, Pretorius and Richard Seletswane formed a solid partnership, ensuring a steady flow of runs. Pretorius reached his half-century off 59 balls.
Under mounting pressure, Pretorius attempted to hit Musheer Khan over mid-wicket but was caught brilliantly by Murugan Abhishek.
The Proteas saw an increase in boundaries when Seletswane and Oliver Whitehead combined for a 45-run partnership. However, Musheer struck with the final ball of his spell, dismissing Whitehead.
South Africa's decision to delay Dewan Marais' entry into the game backfired as he was caught by Saumy Pandey just inches inside the boundary, scoring only 3 runs.
Seletswane displayed great patience as he reached a half-century between the two wickets, although it took him 90 balls to achieve this milestone. Unfortunately, the young player fell while trying to increase the scoring rate.
In the 45th over, Seletswane managed to hit two fours off Limbani, but in the following over, he attempted to attack Naman Tiwari and was caught by Priyanshu Moliya, who made an excellent catch while running in from the deep.
Juan James also departed after a quick cameo of 24 runs off 19 balls, leaving South Africa at 221/7 with only two overs remaining.
Tristan Luus provided the much-needed momentum to the innings in the final two overs, hitting two sixes and a four to finish unbeaten on 23 off 12 balls.
Consequently, South Africa set a target of 245 for India. This was the first time in the tournament that a team had surpassed the 200-run mark against India.
During the chase, South Africa made a brilliant start thanks to Kwena Maphaka's breakthrough on the very first ball of the innings. Adarsh Singh struggled against a well-directed bouncer and ended up awkwardly prodding it to the keeper.
Once again, the short ball proved to be India's downfall as Tristan Luus' accurately-directed bouncer outsmarted the dangerous Musheer Khan, leading to jubilant celebrations in the South African camp after dismissing the tournament's leading run-scorer.
India had to exercise patience as they waited until the seventh over to score their first boundary. Arshin Kulkarni managed to hit a maximum off Maphaka, bringing a moment of joy for India. However, their happiness was short-lived as Arshin fell victim to Luus in the final over of the Powerplay.
The situation worsened for India when Moliya, who had struck a boundary off the first ball of Luus' over, got out while attempting a loose drive.
With the score at 32/4, captain Saharan and Sachin Dhas embarked on a remarkable rescue mission. They mixed caution with aggression to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Dhas took advantage of Riley Norton's bowling and struck three boundaries in a single over, reclaiming some control for India. Saharan held firm at one end while Dhas played the role of the aggressor, reaching a half-century off 47 balls and keeping the required run rate below 6.
Saharan found his rhythm and hit a splendid boundary off James, not only marking a 100-run partnership for the fifth wicket but also surpassing Musheer Khan to become the top scorer in the tournament.
The partnership between the two players showcased their expertise in building innings and chasing targets. They consistently scored singles and punished the bad deliveries by hitting boundaries.
The captain also contributed to the team's performance by reaching his fifty off 88 balls, including a boundary, bringing India closer to victory.
When the required run rate reached a run-a-ball, Dhas and Saharan played aggressive shots, hitting a six and a four respectively, which eased the tension in the Indian camp.
However, South Africa fought back when Maphaka returned to the attack. He deceived Dhas with a well-disguised slower ball, causing him to fall just short of a century on 96.
This wicket resulted in a decrease in the scoring rate and increased pressure on the Indian team. Aravelly Avanish showed great composure by hitting a crucial boundary off Norton on the last ball of the 46th over.
Maphaka bowled the 47th over and made a significant impact by taking the wicket of Avanish off the last ball of his spell. Norton made a good catch in the deep. Two balls later, the game took another twist when Abhishek Murugan was run out due to poor running, falling short of his crease due to a direct hit from Marais.
Raj Limbani's unexpected six shifted the equation, reducing the required runs to nine off the last two overs and putting pressure back on India. The hopes of a South African comeback were dashed when Saharan hit a four off the first ball of the penultimate over, but he was unfortunately run out while trying to secure the winning run.
However, Limbani once again came through in the clutch, hitting a four off the final ball of the over to maintain their unbeaten streak and secure their spot in the final.
India captain Uday Saharan, who was named the Player of the Match, shared his insights during the post-match presentation, highlighting his belief in himself and the importance of staying at the crease until the end.
