KOLKATA, Dec 28: Dinesh Mongia came up with a superb all-round performance as India ‘A’ defeated Pakistan ‘A’ by four wickets to qualify for the triangular tournament final here on Sunday.
Mongia grabbed two crucial wickets and scored an unbeaten 48 as the home side overcame a mid-innings slump in a rain-reduced match to set up a final clash with Sri Lanka ‘A’ on Tuesday.
It was the third win for the Indians while the Sri Lankans made it through with two wins in the double-league format.
The Shahid Afridi-led Pakistani side finished with just one win in four matches.
Left-handed Mongia played a responsible knock under pressure, hitting three fours and a six to see his team through to the target of 98 in the 25 overs per side game.
For Pakistan, paceman Junaid Zia produced an inspired spell in which he took three crucial wickets including those of experienced Sanjay Bangar and left-hander Rohan Gavaskar off successful deliveries.
Bangar was bowled while Gavaskar was trapped leg-before with a fullish delivery as the Pakistan side raised hopes of an upset win.
India fell from 64-2 to 69-6 but Mongia kept his calm to see the team through to safety.
He had earlier in the day taken the important wickets of Mohammad Hafeez and Faisal Iqbal with his left-arm spin as Pakistan were restricted to 97 in 22.2 overs.
Seamer Bangar and leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule took three and two wickets, respectively.
Scoreboard
PAKISTAN ‘A’:
Salman Butt c Yuvraj b Bangar 21
Shahid Afridi c Badani b Trivedi 0
Amin-ur-Rehman b Patel 10
Mohammad Hafeez c Patel b Mongia 5
Faisal Iqbal lbw b Mongia 10
Naved Latif lbw b Bangar 1
Bilal Asad st Ratra b Bahutule 23
Mansoor Amjad run out 8
Mohammad Khalil c and b Bahutule 0
Junaid Zia c Gavaskar b Bangar 4
Abdur Rauf not out 2
EXTRAS (LB-5, W-7, NB-1) 13
TOTAL (all out, 22.2 overs) 97
FALL OF WKTS: 1-4, 2-27, 3-37, 4-50, 5-52, 6-56, 7-80, 8-85, 9-95.
BOWLING: Trivedi 3-0-19-1 (7w); Patel 5-0-12-1 (1nb); Bangar 4.2-0-23-3; Mongia 5-0-19-2; Sarandeep Singh 2-0-10-0; Bahutule 3-0-9-2.
INDIA ‘A’:
D. Mongia not out 48
G. Gambhir b Khalil 16
Yuvraj Singh st Amin b Hafeez 12
H.K. Badani lbw b Mansoor 0
S.B. Bangar b Junaid 0
R.S. Gavaskar lbw b Junaid 0
A. Ratra b Junaid 2
S.V. Bahutule not out 8
EXTRAS (LB-3, W-10) 13
TOTAL (for six wkts, 22.2 overs) 99
FALL OF WKTS: 1-31, 2-62, 3-64, 4-65, 5-65, 6-69.
DID NOT BAT: M.M. Patel, S.K. Trivedi, Sarandeep Singh.
BOWLING: Abdur Rauf 3-0-21-0 (1w); Mohammad Khalil 4.2-0-37-1 (9w); Mohammad Hafeez 5-0-16-1; Junaid Zia 5-0-12-3; Mansoor Amjad 5-0-10-1.
RESULT: India ‘A’ won by four wickets.
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Dinesh Mongia.
FINAL: India ‘A’ v Sri Lanka ‘A’ on Tuesday.—AFP