India and Pakistan will renew their rivalry in a marquee Under-19 One-day Asia Cup Group A encounter on Sunday, with both sides coming into the contest on the back of convincing wins and looking to build momentum in the tournament.
India swept aside Nepal by 10 wickets on Friday, chasing down a modest target of 128 in just 19.1 overs.
Pakistan, meanwhile, made light work of hosts UAE, registering a nine-wicket win after overhauling a target of 225 in 37.3 overs.
As this is the penultimate round-robin league fixture for both sides, the stakes are high, with the result set to have a direct bearing on the Group A standings.
A victory will not only put the winning team in a strong position to finish as group toppers but also guarantee a place in the top two and a berth in the semi-finals.
With one league game still to follow, both sides will be keen to secure qualification while keeping the prospect of finishing at the top of the group alive.
With both teams having made winning starts, Sunday’s contest promises to be a more demanding test, particularly for the bowlers, against batting line-ups that have already shown their ability to score freely.
For India, much of the batting interest will centre on Aaryavir Sehwag, son of former India star opener Virender Sehwag, who announced himself with an unbeaten 70 off just 52 balls against Nepal.
He struck seven fours and four sixes, showing an attacking approach that bore shades of his father’s batting template.