Mumbai: India on Saturday created history by reaching the women’s event final of the Badminton Asia Team Championships for the first time. India beat Japan 3-2 in the semi-final of the event in Malaysia. After the match was tied 2-2, 17- 17-year-old Anmol Kharb defeated world number 29 Natsuki Nidaira to give India a 3-2 win
They’ll meet Thailand in the finals. The star shuttler PV Sindhu took the lead against Japan’s Aya Ohori. The Indian ace fought courageously but ultimately lost against Ohori, who upset Sindhu in two straight sets, 21-17, 22-20, to take Japan’s first point.
With India trailing 0-1, the onus was on Treesa-Gayathri to help them claw their way back into the tie. Battling against the Japanese duo of Matsuyama-Shida, the Indians went all the way, taking the game to three torturous sets before winning in a nail-biter that lasted 21-17, 16-21, 22-20, pulling India back level at 1-1.
India was looking to retain its momentum until Ashmita Chaliha stunned former world champion Nozomi Okuhara, winning 21-17, 21-14 and giving India a 2-1 lead. Japan, on the other hand, was not going down without a fight.
Miyaura-Sakuramoto came out strong against India’s Sindhu-Ponappa team, defeating them in two sets of 21-14, 21-11 to tie the game at 2-2 and force a final game.
It was all or nothing for Anmol Kharb, who was once again charged with assisting India in securing the victory that would advance them to the finals this time. And she delivered, defeating Japan’s Nidaira Natsuki in two straight games of 21-14, 21-18 to win the last game and bring India to the final.
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