India, Feb. 1 -- And just like that, Pakistan gifted India the semi-final spot of the U19 World Cup 2026. The team led by Farhan Yousuf prioritised winning the last Super 6s match over having a crack at sealing a place in the knockouts. When the batters came out, Pakistan knew the task at hand. The broadcasters kept reminding the same. The target of 253 was to be achieved in 33.3 overs if Pakistan wanted to better India's net run rate and send the latter packing, finalising their qualification. However, there was no intent at all as Hamza Zahoor (42), Usman Khan (66), and the skipper Yousuf (38) batted as if they were just content with somehow being able to get over the line.

The tactics were so baffling that even the commentators were u...