Calculated risk in doubles paid off

Meenakshi has yet to play in a major team event, which can bring its own pressures. Thus the Indians opted for experience, even though Neelima disappointed as she went down without much of a fight.

Both Neelima and her opponent Fatimah were unable to adjust to the draft in the hall and were hitting out from the sideline. In the third singles, Manjusha Kanwar, former National champion, rode light of her 28 years to win.

Despite a lead of 2-1, India were still not out of trouble. In the first doubles, instead of her regular partner, Archana Deodhar, Manjusha was paired with the young 17-year-old Shruti Kurian. The two have never played together in any tournament, but they had been tried out in the month-long training camp with an encouraging result. But, it was still a gamble, which paid off.

With not many promising doubles players around, Shruti’s emergence is certainly a heartening sign. Possibly with her regular partner G Jwala, younger than her by a year, we can look forward to a good young doubles combination in the near future.

In the league format, even after the tie has been decided, no team concedes a match, as in the case of a tie between two teams later, matches won and lost against different teams would decide the winner. So India pressed for a 4-1 verdict. On today’s showing, India should be the favourites for tomorrow’s tie against Australia.