Aaryavir Sehwag 160 was the innings that carried India Under-19 into the semi-finals of the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup, as the opener struck 160 off 168 balls in a 70-run win over the UAE at Al Amerat on Tuesday. India posted 309 for 7 in 50 overs, and the UAE were bowled out for 239 in 49.6 overs, a result that sealed India’s place in the last four of the tournament in Oman. The young opener was named Player of the Match for the knock.
Sehwag took 14 balls to get off the mark, then built the biggest innings of the tournament so far. He reached his century off 131 balls in the 34th over, then added 60 off his last 37 balls, finishing with 17 fours and seven sixes at a strike rate of 95.23. Aaryavir Sehwag 160 came in his second major contribution of the tournament, after a 70 against Nepal last week, and it was his maiden century since his India Under-19 debut.
The partnership that set up the total was worth 193 for the second wicket. VK Vineeth made 67 off 69 balls as the pair took India past 250, and the stand gave the middle order a platform to push the total beyond 300. Aaryavir Sehwag 160 was built on that stand, and a late collapse cost India wickets at the end of the innings, though the total of 309 for 7 was still the highest team score of the tournament so far. Naseem Khan took four wickets for the UAE in the innings.
Aaryavir Sehwag 160 and the promise to his father
Sehwag said after the match that he had promised his father, former India opener Virender Sehwag, a big hundred before the game against the UAE. The promise gave the innings a personal edge, and the opener delivered on it with the biggest score of the tournament. Aaryavir Sehwag 160 also carried the family name forward in a tournament where comparisons with his father’s aggressive batting have followed him from the first game.
The bowling effort finished the job. Ishan Sood led India with figures of 4 for 37, and the UAE chase never recovered after losing wickets through the middle overs. Ahmed Khudadad top-scored for the UAE with 74 off 74 balls, and Noorullah Ayobi made 39 off 25, but the target of 310 was too far away once the top order had gone. Aaryavir Sehwag 160 had given the bowlers a total to defend, and the UAE were bowled out for 239, with India winning by 70 runs.
Aaryavir Sehwag 160 sets up Afghanistan semi-final
India now face Afghanistan in the semi-final on Thursday, 12 November, at Al Amerat. Afghanistan reached the last four after beating Sri Lanka by 106 runs, and the match will decide who plays the final on 14 November. India reached the semi-finals with two wins in the group stage, after a three-wicket defeat to Pakistan earlier in the tournament, and the win over the UAE gave the side momentum for the knockout games.
The captain of the side is Lakshya Raichandani, and the team has been built around a batting order that has now produced the tournament’s biggest innings. Aaryavir Sehwag 160 showed the opener can bat through long spells and then accelerate, a combination the side will need against Afghanistan’s bowling attack in the semi-final. The knock also gave India a first-innings total their bowlers could defend, and the 70-run margin was the side’s most comfortable win of the tournament.
For Sehwag, the innings was the biggest of his young international career so far. He had scored 70 against Nepal in the opening game, and the 160 against the UAE doubled that mark in his next big outing. Aaryavir Sehwag 160 will be the innings India remember from the group stage, and the opener will carry the same promise into the semi-final against Afghanistan on Thursday.