Mohit Ulva and Venkata produced a decisive unbeaten ninth-wicket stand to snatch a thrilling one-wicket victory for India over Pakistan in the U-19 Asia Cup final, chasing down a daunting 338-run target off the final delivery of the match in Muscat on Saturday.

With India struggling at 252 for eight, Ulva and Venkata joined hands to turn the game around, taking the contest into the final over with eight runs required.

Ulva, who remained unbeaten on 49 off 26 balls, struck the winning boundary off Ahmed Hussain’s final delivery to take India to 339 for nine. Venkata remained not out on 11.

India had appeared to be out of contention after losing eight wickets for 252, despite a solid start to their chase. Manal Chauhan’s aggressive 47 and the subsequent lower-order resistance kept India in the hunt before Ulva and Venkata completed the remarkable recovery.

Earlier, Pakistan had posted 337 for nine after being put into bat, with Usman Khan leading the charge with a commanding 107, his fourth century at this level. Abdul Qadir smashed 80 off just 54 balls, while captain Farhan Yousaf added 63 as Pakistan looked set for a total in excess of 350.

Pakistan were cruising at 204 for two after 30 overs, but India’s bowlers staged a strong comeback in the closing stages.

Kavya Paresh Patel claimed four for 68, while Chigurupati Venkata, who replaced the injured Ishan Sood, took three for 40. Pakistan managed only 63 runs in the final 10 overs while losing six wickets.

India’s chase began on a positive note, with Aaryavir Sehwag and Lakshya Raichandani providing a solid opening stand. However, regular wickets in the middle overs put the asking rate under pressure and left India needing a remarkable recovery in the closing stages.

The dramatic finish capped a high-scoring final, which featured the highest aggregate in India-Pakistan U-19 ODIs.