India, Feb. 4 -- India U19 punched their ticket to the U-19 World Cup final with a statement chase, hunting down Afghanistan's 310 for 4 with 53 balls to spare and seven wickets in hand.

In a semi-final that threatened to become a pure batting slugfest, India's top order made sure the contest never got away from them, finishing on 311 for 3 in 41.1 overs.

Afghanistan had set the tone with two centuries in a mammoth partnership that stretched India's attack. Faisal Shinozada led the surge with 110 off 93 balls (15 fours), before being removed late, while Uzairullah Niazai stayed unbeaten on 101 off 86 (12 fours, two sixes). Their acceleration after the halfway mark pushed Afghanistan past 300 and left India a tricky chase on a flat track...