In the battle for a spot in the semifinals of the ICC Under-19 World Cup, Pakistan won the toss and chose to field first in Bulawayo on Sunday.

To reach the semifinals, Pakistan need a convincing victory over their traditional rival.

If India set a target of 200 runs, Pakistan would have to chase it down within 31.5 overs to secure a berth in the semifinals.

The high-stakes encounter adds another chapter to the storied cricket rivalry between the two nations.

Pakistan last defeated India by 191 runs in the final of the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup held at the ICC Cricket Academy in Dubai on December 21, courtesy a century by Sameer Minhas and a four-wicket haul from Ali Raza.

Ahead of Sunday’s encounter, Pakistan trained at the Queens Sports Club on Saturday, where the players, besides taking part in fielding drills, also had net sessions under the supervision of the coaching staff led by head coach Shahid Anwar.

Pakistan, who currently have four points and are placed third in Group 2 of the Super Six stage, need to defeat India by a healthy margin to secure a place in the semi-finals.

England sit at the top of the table with eight points and have already secured a semi-final berth in the ongoing mega event.

From Group 1 of the Super Six stage, Afghanistan and Australia have already qualified for the semi-finals.

In head-to-head encounters at the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, both sides have faced each other 10 times, with Pakistan and India winning five matches apiece.

Outside the ICC event, in the last five meetings between the two teams, Pakistan U19 have emerged victorious on four occasions, while India U19 have managed to win once.