Continuing their unbeaten streak, the Indian women’s team notched a commanding victory over Malaysia to enter the quarterfinals of the Kho Kho World Cup here on Thursday.
Starting with a spectacular ‘Dream Run’ by defenders Bhilar Opinaben and Monika, India showcased their prowess across all four turns, ultimately securing an emphatic 80-point win.
The victory, marked by multiple ‘Dream Runs’ and tactical brilliance, cemented India’s position atop Group A with a massive score difference, setting up a quarterfinal clash with Bangladesh.
The home team started the game with a ‘Dream Run’ in their opening batch, setting the tone for an exciting win. This impressive run by defenders Bhilar Opinaben and Monika continued throughout Turn 1, which meant both teams were on equal footing, with the first batch ending after 5 minutes and 50 seconds.
Priyanka, Neetu and Meenu then carried on the team’s impressive run at the end of Turn 1, as the score read 6-6 at the end of the first 7 minutes. Twenty-seven seconds into Turn 2, the first batch of Malaysian players had been eliminated, giving India a solid platform to build a substantial lead.
Monika and the Wazir, Nirmala Bhati, powered the team throughout their attack, while for Malaysia, Eng Zi Yi and Lakshita Vijayan kept them afloat. The Malaysian side came close to a ‘Dream Run’ but fell short by 1 minute and 4 seconds at the end of Turn 2, with the scoreline 44-6 in favour of India.
The first Dream Run of Turn 3 for India was led by Subhashree Sing, as their third batch of the game continued for 4 minutes and 42 seconds. This was enough to give the home team another massive lead heading into the final Turn of the game with the score at 48-20.
Turn 4 was as dominating for India as the rest of the game. Once again, the Indian team ruled the roost and made it three wins in three games, beating their opponents by 80 points.
