For a few minutes on Saturday evening, India’s Under-19 team looked beaten. They were chasing 338 in the Asia Cup final against Pakistan, had lost eight wickets and still needed 86 runs from 51 balls. Pakistan could almost see the trophy. Then Mohit Ulva and Manal Chauhan decided the final wasn’t over.
Captain Lakshya Raichandani had given India a fighting chance with 80, while Aaryavir Sehwag’s 58 had kept the chase alive. But at 252 for 8, those efforts looked destined to end in defeat. India needed something extraordinary, and two players from the lower order delivered it.
IND vs PAK, U19 Asia Cup Final: Highlights
Manal, batting at No. 7, scored 47 from 32 balls. Ulva, coming in at No. 10, made an unbeaten 49 off just 26. Their 57-run partnership for the ninth wicket brought India within touching distance before Manal fell at 302. India still needed 36, with only one wicket remaining.
There was little reason to believe they could finish the job. Chigurupati Venkata, playing his first match of the tournament, walked in at No. 11. His unbeaten 11 from eight balls gave Ulva the support he needed. India entered the final over requiring eight runs, with leg-spinner Ahmed Hussain defending the total. Five came off the first five deliveries, including a wide. Three were needed from the last ball.
Ulva found the boundary. India finished on 339 for 9 and won by one wicket.
It was an extraordinary finish, the sort of match that makes young cricketers believe anything is possible. The celebrations were inevitable. But some of what followed has left an uncomfortable aftertaste.
DID THE CELEBRATIONS GO TOO FAR?
The Indian players rushed onto the field as soon as the winning runs were scored. They screamed, ran towards each other and celebrated a victory that had seemed impossible only minutes earlier. Nobody should begrudge them that. They had just pulled off one of the most remarkable chases in the tournament’s history.
But the celebrations reportedly did not end with the usual scenes of joy.
Videos circulating on social media appear to show some Indian players making inappropriate gestures towards their Pakistan counterparts. One clip appears to show Manal Chauhan gesturing towards Pakistan wicketkeeper Hamza Zahoor. Other reports have described obscene gestures aimed at Zahoor and his team-mates. Members of India’s support staff reportedly had to intervene to calm the situation.
The footage needs to be viewed in its full context before individual players are judged. But the questions it has raised cannot simply be brushed aside.
For some supporters, the celebrations crossed a line. Others felt the youngsters had been carried away by the occasion and should not be judged too harshly. There were also calls for the BCCI to pay greater attention to player conduct and the responsibility that comes with wearing the India shirt.
Both sides of the argument deserve consideration. The players had every right to celebrate. They did not have to direct that celebration at opponents who had just suffered a heartbreaking defeat.
There is a difference, and it matters.
AN INDO-PAK FINAL IS NEVER JUST ANOTHER GAME
Anyone who has followed this rivalry knows that the pressure is unlike anything else in cricket. Every run, wicket, celebration and exchange is watched closely. Players are aware of the emotions invested in these matches, and even seasoned internationals have occasionally struggled to keep theirs in check.
Now imagine experiencing that as a teenager, with an Asia Cup trophy at stake.
India had been staring at defeat. Pakistan were five minutes away from retaining their title. Then came a partnership that turned the final on its head, followed by a boundary off the last delivery. The relief and adrenaline would have been difficult to comprehend, let alone contain.
That context matters. It explains why the celebrations were so intense. It does not automatically justify everything that happened during them.
There is no reason to expect young cricketers to behave like spectators at a golf tournament. A last-ball victory against Pakistan should be celebrated with all the noise and excitement it deserves. Running across the field, screaming, hugging team-mates and letting the moment take over are part of sport.
But directing an inappropriate gesture at an individual opponent is different. The disappointment on the other side is just as real. Pakistan’s players had competed for the same trophy, and they deserved to be treated with respect even in defeat.
The youngsters need to understand that distinction. Not because they should celebrate less, but because representing India demands more than simply winning cricket matches.
UNDER-19 CRICKET HAS BEEN HERE BEFORE
The uncomfortable scenes in Oman also bring back memories of the 2020 Under-19 World Cup final in PotchefstroomSouth Africa.
Bangladesh defeated India by three wickets to win their maiden title, chasing a revised target of 170. What should have been a moment of celebration for Bangladesh quickly descended into ugly scenes, with heated exchanges followed by pushing and shoving. India captain Priyam Garg was visibly unhappy, while coach Paras Mhambrey stepped in to prevent matters from escalating.
The tension had been building throughout the match. Bangladesh pacers Shoriful Islam and Tanzim Hasan Sakib had exchanged words with Divyansh Saxena and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Shoriful also gave Jaiswal a send-off after dismissing him for 88.
Garg subsequently described Bangladesh’s reaction as dirty. Bangladesh captain Akbar Ali apologised on behalf of his team, admitting that some players had allowed their emotions to get the better of them.
There were consequences, too. Match referee Graeme Labrooy reviewed the footage and sanctioned five players: India’s Ravi Bishnoi and Akash Singh, along with three Bangladesh players.
That episode is worth remembering for another reason. The sanctions were not handed out based on who had won or lost. Both teams had players who were held accountable.
EXAMPLE SET BY SENIORS MATTER
Young cricketers learn as much from what happens around them as they do from their coaches. They watch senior players, observe how victories and defeats are handled and absorb the culture of the dressing room. The way established India players conduct themselves, particularly in high-pressure moments, inevitably shapes the next generation.
There is nothing wrong with playing aggressive cricket. Youngsters should be encouraged to stand their ground, compete fiercely and never feel intimidated by the occasion. But aggression should never come at the cost of respect. Learning to recognise that difference is part of growing into an international cricketer.
Those guiding them have a role to play, too. Coaches and support staff must make youngsters understand where they went wrong. This is when those conversations matter most, before the same mistakes become habits.
The reaction outside the dressing room, however, needs perspective as well. Criticising inappropriate behaviour is fair. Writing off teenagers or judging their character on the basis of a handful of social media clips is not.
CRICKET SHOULD BE THE WINNER
So, did India’s Under-19 boys go too far?
Some of the gestures, if the circulating footage shows what it appears to show, were difficult to defend. The players deserve understanding, not immunity from criticism. They are young enough to make mistakes, but also old enough to understand the responsibility that comes with representing their country.
That conversation needs to happen. It simply should not become the only conversation about this final.
Long after the videos and arguments have disappeared from social media, India’s chase will remain etched in cricketing history. Ulva and Manal pulled off a Houdini act when the match looked beyond rescue. Venkata walked in at No. 11 and held his nerve. Three youngsters from the lower order kept India alive when Pakistan were within touching distance of the trophy.
That is what made this a classic India-Pakistan final, and that is the story worth remembering.
India-Pakistan cricket will always carry an intensity that few other rivalries can match. The players should never be asked to take that emotion out of the game. They should learn to channel it, especially when the result goes their way.
On Saturday, India’s youngsters showed extraordinary courage with their backs against the wall. The next lesson is a different one: winning a final is a moment of pride, but how you treat the opposition afterwards says something about the cricketer you are becoming.
– Ends
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