India end Junior Proteas’ hopes of a home World Cup final

Remarkable knocks from Indian captain Uday Saharan and Sachin Dhas ensured South Africa’s hopes of lifting the ICC Under-19 World Cup on home soil disappeared into thin air despite a late fight as they lost by two wickets in their semifinal on Tuesday.

Saharan scored 81 runs off 124 balls at Willowmoore Park in Benoni and led from the front. Dhas put out an impressive 96 runs as defending champions India chased down a target of 245 with seven balls left and booked their place in the final.

They will face the winners of Thursday's semifinal between Australia or Pakistan on Sunday at the same ground.

India had the worst possible start as they lost their opener Adarsh Singh for a golden duck off the bowling of South Africa's next superstar Kwena Maphaka.

Tristan Luus put on a show and ripped through the Indian top order with ease.

He accounted for the dismissal of India’s star batter in the tournament, Musheer Khan for 4 then Arshin Kulkarni (12) and Priyanshu Moliya (5), leaving the visitors reeling on 32/4 by the 12th over.

Saharan and Dhas added 175 runs for the fifth-wicket partnership, which resulted in the Proteas coaching staff patrolling the boundary in panic dishing out advice for the bowlers as the Indians took the innings by the scruff of the neck.

It was Maphaka who earned South Africa their fifth and sixth wicket by getting Dhas (96) to chip one towards covers in the 43rd over and then had Aravelly Avanish for 10 two overs later.

Murugan Abhishek was run out for a duck but that could not stop the defending champions from proceeding to the next round.

They finished with a score of 248/8. Luus and Maphaka were the pick of the junior Proteas bowlers with three wickets apiece.

Earlier, half centuries from opener Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Richard Seletswane lent a helping hand to the home side in reaching 244/7.

Pretorius notched up 76 runs off 102 balls while Seletswane scored 64 off 100 after Indian skipper Saharan won the toss and opted to field.

It was the first time the Indians had bowled first in the tournament after having batted first in the past five matches in the group stages and the super six.

Saharan's decision to bowl proved to be on the money as Raj Limbani removed dangerous opener Steve Stolk for just 14 runs and struggling David Teeger for a second-ball duck.

South Africa finished the first power play on 55/2, their lowest in the competition, but Seletswane and Pretorius picked up the pieces and rebuilt the innings with a 72-run third-wicket stand to ease the pressure.

It was like watching construction workers patiently building brick by brick as Pretorius, playing the role of the aggressor of the two, brought up his third consecutive fifty of the campaign off 59 balls.

With 20 overs to go, SA in need of gradual acceleration and the Indian spinners piling on the pressure, Pretorius fell to Khan.

Oliver Whitehead tried to up the ante with some lusty blows but fell victim to Khan for 22 runs with 10 overs to go.

Seletswane scored his maiden fifty of the tournament as Dewan Marais (3) had a short stay at the crease and left his side in a spot of bother on 174/5 after 42 overs.

With the Proteas in desperate need of quick runs, captain Juan James combined with Seletswane for a quick-fire 40-run, 25-ball partnership as South Africa became the first team to pass 200 against India in the tournament.

The momentum shifted to the home side, but Naman Tiwari and Limbani pulled through for India in the death overs, accounting for the wickets of James (24) and Seletswane.

Luus’s unbeaten cameo of 23 runs from 12 balls helped SA register the decent total.

Lambani was the pick of the Indian bowling attack with figures of 3/60.