In IBL final,second round of Saina Nehwal vs PV Sindhu

That isnt to say that who wins the duel will,with certainty,set the tone for the rest of the tie at the NSCI stadium. The all-India mens singles either K Srikanth or Guru Sai Dutt vs Ajay Jayaram might yet prove to be the most decisive skirmish of the day,to land either team the title.

Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk,the Thai singles man with Hyderabad Sainas contemporary when she won the World juniors and a bit of a showboat loves the spotlight on himself at all times. Ajay Jayram is tiring of the giant-killer tag and wants to be reliable and consistent now. Also Read: Sindhu8217;s Warriors set IBL final with Saina8217;s Hotshots

And the Warriors doubles teams,cleverly put together after Danish Mathias Boe trooped in and Markis Kidos regular partner Pia Bernadeth arrived by his side to give the Lucknow team the advantage in the crucial fifth rubber,and an air of invincibility,could in fact render the Sindhu-Saina match as a footnote. Theres also the ill-advised plans to get Nehwal to play the mixed doubles,though shes never been at ease sharing the court. Also Read: Work ethic-wise Saina has a huge drive,Sindhu is still a little kid,says Gopichand

Yet,the two girls from Hyderabad might,inspite of themselves,render the whole IBL to a footnote as they proceed to Act 2 of their rivalry,which practically kicked off the championship in Delhi a fortnight ago.

Xie Xingfang,the former Chinese No 2 behind double Olympic champ Zhang Ning,had said that the best thing to happen to Saina Nehwal could be the emergence of a No 2,snapping at her heels,breathing down her neck and perennially keeping her on her toes. Within three years of her pronouncement,PV Sindhu fetched up.

Saturday might provide a better insight into their relative strengths,given that Sindhus shrugged off the Delhi defeat to Nehwal and the nerves of the opening night,and in practice on match-eve looked relaxed,cheerful,and generally less haggard and more like the girl who won the World Championship bronze a month ago. Having lined up wins,the most recent against Tine Baun and the most important against Julianne Schenk since her first couple of losses in the league,Sindhu is perhaps at her best,mentally,to take on her senior.

Sindhu has Md Hafeez Hashim in her corner,the elegant Malaysian known for his rhythmic play and All England title,but moreover for being a No 2 to Lee Chong Wei,who knew all about lying in wait,and pouncing on the favourite. Sindhu needs to be very aggressive against Saina,and for that she needs to be prepared physically and mentally. She slumped in the 2nd set last time and couldnt keep up the attack though she started well,but if she is prepared physically to last the whole match then she has a good chance, he says. Hafeez uses words like courage and attitude and recommends a mask of bravery even when the chips are down. Because shes lanky,when shes under pressure,she literally shrinks and slumps in height,and her limbs appear loose. She has to continue to look aggressive.

He also believes that though she has nothing to lose,it is in fact her hunger to win that will take her past the line. Lee Chong Wei has that never-ending hunger.

And so does Saina Nehwal,with her insatiable appetite to overpower opponents and her ferocious resistance to losing which was evident from Day 1.

Contrasting styles, Gopichand,wholl enjoy this little face-off without having to schizophrenically plot from both ends,says. Nehwal likes the shuttle slow,Sindhu thrives on fast paced courts. Nehwal has looked sharp at the net and in her defence,and Sindhu loves her attacking barrages from the back. Yet,Gopi puts as much store on clash of physical power and mindsets. Even if I know which teams favourite to win,I wont say.

The tease is on the Saturday audience.

Live on ESPN and Starsports 2: 8pm onwards