Mustering up drive to play hard in a dead rubber is not always the easiest thing to do. However, India had no such problems when they beat Pakistan by 33 runs in their final league match at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Under-15 tournament on Wednesday. Beating Pakistan before the final should give the Indians a psychological edge over their arch rivals.

India took on Pakistan at the Club Aman in Ampang, Malaysia. Coming off a winning streak, India were under no pressure. It must also be said that Pakistan were in a similar situation. While India had won four matches on the trot, Pakistan had won three without losing any. After playing India, they will take on hosts Malaysia on Thursday. There is very little doubt about the possible outcome of that encounter. The two sides have been a cut above the rest in the tournament.

Winning the toss, Pakistan skipper Kashif Mahmood put India in to bat. The Indians have enjoyed a good run of form with the bat in the tournament thus far. However they were up against by far their toughest opponents and could muster only 181.

Although this did not seem like a winning target, it proved to be enough for India at the end of the day. The Indian innings revolved around wicketkeeper Abhinav Kumar who made a steady unbeaten 52. Both captain Subhash Dixit (25) and Navin Chaudhary (28) chipped in as India ended on 181/6 off 40 overs.

In response, Pakistan lost wickets at regular intervals and this stifled their chances of mounting a serious assault on the target. The wickets were shared all around in the Indian camp with Mrigen Talkukdar (2/16) once again producing the best returns as Pakistan ended on 148 for nine.

India go into the final with an all win record. In the final, to be played on July 9 India will again play Pakistan.

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