DUBAI: Pakistan on Sunday defeated India by eight wickets in the fifth game of the ongoing Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Under-19 Asia Cup in Dubai, with Azan Awais guiding his side to victory with an unbeaten century. 

Pakistan won the toss and elected to field first. Pakistan U19 cruised to the 260-run target with much ease, doing so in 47 overs and eight wickets in the bag. Despite losing opening batter Shamyl Hussain cheaply in just the fifth over, Pakistan remained in control of the chase. 

A 110-run partnership between Shahzaib Khan and Azan Awais ensured that Pakistan dominated the Indian bowling after the first wicket fell. The partnership was broken in the 28th over when Shahzaib was caught off Murugan Abhishek’s bowling, after scoring a half-century (63). 

Azan was the star of the match as his superb century (105 not out) ensured that Pakistan remain in a commanding position throughout the chase. For his extraordinary batting display, he was awarded player of the match. 

“The post-win celebrations and cherishing the moment with fans,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on X, sharing scenes from the match’s venue. 

Pakistan captain Saad Baig, replacing Shahzaib at the crease, scored an unbeaten 68. Azan and Saad put up an undefeated partnership of 125 runs to see Pakistan through. 

Earlier in the game, Indian opening batter Adarsh Singh hit 62 runs to recoup the momentum for his side, following the loss of two wickets inside the first 12 overs. 

A 93-run stand between captain Uday Saharan (60) and Singh helped restore control in the innings. 

However, when Singh fell to left-arm spinner Arafat Minhas in the 32nd over, the innings once again faltered. Pressure mounted on the Indian batting as successive wickets fell. A quick half-century by Sachin Dhas took India to a respectable total as they finished at 259-9 in 50 overs. 

The Pakistan pace attack delivered well, with right-arm quick Mohammad Zeeshan picking up four wickets. His fellow fast bowlers Amir Hassan and Ubaid Shah returned with two each as well. 

Pakistan will now face Afghanistan on December 12 at the same venue. 

KARACHI: Abdul Wahid drops a round mixture of minced meat, maize flour, and spices into a pot sizzling with hot ghee in front of him. A couple of minutes pass before his assistant flips the finished kebabs onto a plate while a waiter attends to eager customers lining up for their takeout orders at a busy restaurant in Karachi. 

This is the scene one observes almost every night during the winter season at A-One restaurant in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi. Located in the bustling city’s Shah Faisal Colony area, it offers chapli kebabs, a popular staple cooked at roadside stands, sit-down restaurants and homes particularly in northwestern Pakistan and Afghanistan. 

Chapli kebabs are meat patties fried with a generous helping of animal fat or oil. The kebabs are mostly made from beef and mutton and are a mix of white cumin, carom seeds, dried coriander, pomegranate seeds, salt, green chilies, and tomatoes. Though the restaurant serves several popular food items such as chicken karahi dish, biryani and fish, A-One in Karachi has gained renown for its chapli kebabs over the years. 

“It [A-One] is famous for chapli kebab, which is our primary specialty,” Wahid told Arab News, noting that over the years, additional cuisines were later introduced to the menu. 

A-One occupies a large space now but the restaurant used to be a small shop in the ‘80s when it started. 

“Our Mr. Hajji Gohar Rahman, he started with a small shop,” Gul Muhammad Khan, the restaurant’s manager, told Arab News. “First of all, [the biggest success factor] is Allah’s Grace, then his honesty, and then his hard work gave us an entire complex of Peshawari chapli kebabs.” 

The first chef of the restaurant, 95-year-old Saeed Khan, brought the popular original chapli kebab recipe from Pakistan’s northwestern Peshawar city, said Khan. 

“This is our original recipe; it’s Peshawari,” he added. 

Abdul Wahid, the current chef, said what separates A-One’s chapli kebabs from the ones offered at other eateries, is that they are made from high-quality meat. 

“We use the meat of the leg only,” Wahid told Arab News. “We use high-quality, hygienic meat, which is why the quality that we started with hasn’t changed.” 

Despite being a dish traditionally associated with Pakistan’s ethnic Pashtun community, people of various ethnicities savor chapli kebabs at the restaurant, praising its authentic taste.

“People from every community eat,” Gul Muhammad Khan, the manager, told Arab News. 

“Their friends bring them here specifically to introduce them to a new taste, and those who eat, really enjoy it.” 

Zahid Jamal, a frequent customer, selected the venue to celebrate his daughter Safiya’s birthday this weekend. 

“Today is my daughter Safiya’s birthday, so we thought about going out for dinner,” Jamal told Arab News. “We decided to go to A-One as its chapli kebabs are very famous. So, we came here and enjoyed our meal. It was very good.” 

Another regular customer, Aimen Azam, said she regularly sends an uncooked blend of kebabs to her brother in Dubai. 

“Last month, I sent some uncooked chapli kebabs to my brother in Dubai,” Azam told Arab News. “I sent him about 6kg in uncooked form last month, and he had it with his friends there.”