Mixed Team Championships: India stun Kazakhs in opener

DUBAI, Feb 14: India registered a clean sweep against Kazakhstan 5-0 in their opening tie of Group B at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships on Tuesday.
The mixed doubles team of Ishaan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Crasto got India off to a winning start. The duo trounced Kazakhstan’s Makhsut Tadzhibullaev and Nargiza Rakhmetullayeva 21-5, 21-11 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre.
In the second rubber, H.S Prannoy moved past Dmitriy Panarin 21-9, 21-11 in the men’s singles match to extend the lead to 2-0 in the tie.
P.V Sindhu, who returned to the action after missing the Indonesia and Thailand Masters last month, registered an easy 21-4, 21-12 win over Kamila Smagulova to give India an unassailable 3-0 lead in the tie.
In the men’s doubles match, a dead rubber, Krishna Prasad Garga and Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala broke little sweat to dispatch their opponents, Khaitmurat Kulmatov and Artur Niyazov. The Indians won the match 21-10, 21-6.
India’s best-ranked women’s doubles pair, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand ensured a clean sweep, beating the Kazakh team of Nargiza Rakhmetullayeva and Aisha Zhumabek by a 21-5, 21-7 in the final rubber.India will play the hosts UAE on Wednesday and will face Malaysia in the final tie on Thursday.
The top two teams from each group will progress to the quarter-finals. (IANS)