India in World Jr. team Squash semi finals

Bless the Indians, today they made more noise supporting their men than Italy and South Africa put together in the last Team World Championship. The people that were there in Paderborn will know what I mean. A bit deafening …..

Reason being, I think they were a bit more under pressure than they were expecting to be after their number two, Vrishab Koitan went down 3/0 to Yip Tsz Fung, which was a bit of an upset I’m told.

The Indian just didn’t play at his best, making a few unforced errors too many, while the Chinese, pinning his opponent at the back, was able to finish the points at the front. A few too many lets/collisions, too many stops/starts for it to be a great match really.

Second on, Mahesh was expected to walk through the match a bit, the boy narrowly missed the semis of the individuals on a “pirouette” from Aboelgar, and that’s exactly what he did. The Hong Kong tried his best, but was just not able to put any kind of pressure on Mahesh.

And we were into the decider. Kush Kumar v Yeung Ho Wai.

First game was crucial, and went against the run of play, as it was Ho Wai leading the whole time, only to be caught up at 9/9 from 9/7, Kush going on to win the game, 11/9 scoring four point in a row. And if the game was a bit “up and down the wall” up to then, the Indian surely found some great winners at the end!!

Second, well the Chinese was probably struggling with the loss of the opener, having been so close to taking it, and lost his length a bit, allowing Kush to find lovely attacks.

Third, two halves. Up to 3/3, very close, then a big collision, with the Indian boy banging rather brutally into the back of the HK. Conduct warning, no let, a few minutes of interruption. The Indian seemed to lose concentration after that, not scoring another point.

And the fourth, well, the Indians were doing a few “SitDownWagih” jumps, with Mahesh hiding his face in his tshirt, Vrishab virtually hagding two third of his body off his seat for the whole game, you see the image in your head I’m sure.

While HK, dignified and sitting straight, were being as controlled as it comes. Amazing contrast.

Thing is, the fourth looked all Indian when India went 6/1 and 9/5, but HK, with all his heart (his short game let him a bit down today, he had so much trouble finishing the point after he worked so hard to give him the opportunities), clawed back, on his own, no errors from India, back to 8/9.

An immmmmmmense rally at that stage, immense from huge that lasted forever. The Indians just couldn’t breathe, I promise you, not a sound in the whole place, I just loved it (that rule about making noise IS JUST SILLY), everybody mesmerised, and the error that comes from HK.

10/9, match ball.

You think, surely, after such a rally, he’s going to tin it, but no, HK fought back, forced a decider. But the shot maker today found again some stunning winners on the last two points.

The Indian camp erupted. Literally. As a volcano, racquet, bodies, all went up in the air, while the HK team just stayed, silenced and dignified.

Well done to both, that was a great match indeed.