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India beat Hong Kong at Asian basketball meet
Changsha (China): The Indian baskelball team shook-off a slow start to defeat a spirited Hong Kong 76-71 at the FIBA Asia Championship here on Monday.
With Palestine losing to Japan earlier in the day, the Indians are just one win away from entering the quarter-finals after a gap of 12 years.
Amjyot Singh spearheaded the Indian charge with 26 points and 12 rebounds, while the experienced duo of Yadwinder Singh (18 points) and Vishesh Bhriguvanshi (16 points) also played a crucial role. Amritpal Singh scored eight points.
C. Wong was the highest scorer for Hong Kong with 21 points.
The Indians took time to settle down as the speedy Hong Kong players took a 14-19 lead by the end of the opening quarter. The second period also saw a tough duel before the Indians gained control over the match by outscoring their opponents in the third and fourth quarters.
“Although we were trailing at the beginning, we were fully confident that we would win. My focus has always been on defense but I found that our scoring was stuck, so I stepped up my aggression and it paid off,” Yadwinder said after the match.
India will face a tough task against Philippines in their final second round match on Tuesday.
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Sunil Gavaskar gives his opinion of GT allrounder Rahul Tewatia
The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.
Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.
Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”
Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.