IND Under-19 vs PAK Under-19, Semi-Final at Christchurch, , Jan 30 2018 - Ball by Ball Commentary

Right then, onwards and upwards as the big final looms. Saturday is the day. We will be live from Mount Maunganui and hope to see all of you back then. For now, it's goodbye from myself and Sreshth. Been a pleasure, as always. Thanks for your company and comments!

So that was India-Pakistan for you. Not quite the nail-biter but it was a huge occasion nonetheless. Pakistan stuttered today, but they've had several positives, none bigger than their bowling, which carried them this far. Unfortunately for them, it all fell apart today, but they can still look forward to the small consolation of finishing third when they take on Afghanistan in the third-place playoff.

As for India, they are one big day away from laying their hands on the World Cup for a fourth time. But look at the team on the other side. It's a powerhouse Australian team. It's almost like going back to the start of the tournament, for they will have to start from a clean slate.

Anand V: "Mavi and Nagarkoti may not have wickets to show for, but it's their super tight and fast bowling that enabled Porel to pick up wickets from the other end. Brilliant team effort from the bowling group."

NK: "Wow..!!! These guys are just fabulous... 250 plus score on a NZ pitch and defend the same by a huge 200 pls deficit is just fantastic... Kudos young guns and their leading light, Rahul Dravid..."

Shridhar Sharma: "I just wish this performance does not make India complacent for the upcoming final. Well played guys"

David: "Afghanistan will fancy their chances of finishing 3rd if Pakistan plays like this"

Ums far: "Well played India. Well deserved and hoping for an exciting final vs Australia. "

Sathish: "The moment Indian batsmen faired well against excellent Pakistani bowling, it's a 99% win. We should not celebrate in a grand fashion yet! One more game and we can let the roar out. Remind you, Aussies playing brilliant cricket atm too. Will be an interesting contest. "

That was clinical. That was comprehensive. That was brutal. India stamped their authority in every way possible. Right from ball one, they were the superior team. The Shubman Gill juggernaut extended into yet another match and translated into a century in a big semifinal against Pakistan. He could not have dreamed of a bigger day (except winning the trophy, of course, but that's for a future date). He's been quite the unstoppable force this tournament, not too dissimilar to how India as a whole have been this tournament.

Pakistan stuttered one time too many on the big day and let the occasion get the better of them. Dropped catches. Fumbles in the outfield. Run out chances missed. These are all lapses every team wants to leave behind when they take the field for a knockout game, but unfortunately for Pakistan, it made one appearance too many.

Shubman Gill is Man of the Match. "I think this innings I'll rank pretty high. It was a special innings in a big match against Pakistan. I thought 250-260 would be a good-enough total for the pacers to defend. Nowadays cricket is all about adaptability. I'd like to play all three formats. Looking forward to playing Australia in the final."

"At the halfway stage, we thought the pitch was pretty good to bat on, but unfortunately our batsmen didn't do well," says Pakistan captain Hasan Khan. "Had we capitalised on our chances, it could have been slightly different. But things didn't go our way. We expected our batsmen to step up and perform. The bowlers have done well for us throughout the tournament."

"I think it was a good allround performance, we did a great job," says Prithvi Shaw. "The plan was simple: just look for the loose balls and convert it into boundaries. First-class you get really good experience playing with guys who have already played for India,so it's a great experience. Facing Australia will be a good challenge.Let's see what happens."

Vipin: "Bring Porel back buddy. 5-for vs Pakistan that too in World Cup semis is a big deal for anyone ." Not for now, seems like. Abhishek Sharma comes on.