Saurav Ghosal and Joshna Chinappa are well aware of the expectations of the squash lovers in the country. They have seldom played together in mixed doubles but on Saturday, they started their campaign on a winning note in the Commonwealth Games.
The fourth-seeded Indian pair defeated Cayman Islands' Marlene West and Michael Hopkins 11-6, 9-11, 11-5 in a Pool Four league match.
It was the late withdrawal of Dipika Pallikal from the competition that paved the way for Ghosal and Joshna become the only remaining medal hope.
Dipika, who pulled out of the singles earlier in the week, did not recover fully from indisposition and stayed away. Dipika was to partner Ghosal in the mixed doubles and form the second-seeded pair with Joshna.
Keeping in mind the possibility of a medal in the event, it was decided to put Joshna and Ghosal together. In the bargain, Joshna's regular partner, Harinder Pal Sandhu lost out.
But there was joy for all when this makeshift pair came out stronger after a lapse in focus from 8-4 in the second game.
“Considering the fact that we don't played together, I think, we played very well. The two games that we won were quite convincing. We should have won it in straight games but we let them come back into the second game. In the third, we put the pressure from the start and closed it out well,” said Ghosal after the match.
The Indian pair plays the Scottish combination of Alan Clyne and Frania Gillen-Buchert on Monday for a place in the quarterfinals.
The other good news for the Indian supporters was the twin-victories posted by Sandeep Jangra and Harinder Pal Sandhu to enter the round of 16.
In a surprise result, third-seeded pair of Nicol David and Ong Beng Hee lost to Scotland's harry Lietch and Lisa Aitken. 9-11, 5-11.
