Australia Clinches Dramatic One-Wicket Victory Over Pakistan, Setting Up World Cup Final Repeat
In a thrilling semi-final match, Australia managed to edge out Pakistan by one wicket, securing their place in the tournament final against India. This nail-biting victory came on the heels of India’s narrow win over South Africa in the first semi-final.
With Australia down to their last wicket and still needing 16 runs to chase a target of 180, Pakistan seemed poised for the final. However, Australia’s last-wicket pair held their nerve, clinching the match with just five balls to spare and leaving spectators on tenterhooks.
This victory sets the stage for a repeat of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 final, with U19 World Cup defending champions India facing off against Australia.
Match Summary: Australia Triumphs Over Pakistan in Benoni
Pakistan: 179 (48.5 overs), Australia: 181/9 (49.1 overs)
In the crucial semi-final match of the 2024 edition of the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, Australia’s captain, Hugh Weibgen, won the toss and elected to field first, unleashing his pace bowlers on a fresh wicket.
Pakistan’s openers, Shamyl Hussain and Shahzaib Khan, started cautiously against the new ball from Mahli Beardman and Callum Vidler. However, the introduction of Tom Straker as the first change bowler brought immediate success for Australia.
Despite the heartbreaking loss, Pakistan skipper Saad Baig praised Ali Raza for his brilliant spell and remained composed. He said, “It is difficult to be the losing team, but I felt we were 20-30 runs short. The boys played really well. Ali Raza was brilliant. Our bowling was pretty good throughout the tournament. Anyway, one team has to win, one has to lose, that’s the game.”
On the other hand, Australia skipper Hugh Weibgen expressed his confidence in Vidler and MacMillan to successfully finish the run-chase. He stated, “Never in doubt [win]. We had full faith in Vids [Vidler] and Raf [MacMillan] to get the job done. There was quite a bit of emotion in the dressing room. I was quite tense and excited too. I still don’t know what really happened, but it was awesome.”