India aim to pip England on final day and finish second

Will they do it, is the question uppermost in the minds of the country's sports loving public as India go into the last day of the Commonwealth Games today trailing second-placed England by a single gold medal.

Going into the concluding day, India have 96 medals in their kitty made up of 36 gold, 26 silver and 34 bronze while England have 138 (37-56-45). Australia have already ensured the top spot with a haul of 169 medals (72-50-47).

If India have to achieve their pre-Games target of ending up second, they would have to grab one gold more than England as a tie in gold tally will place the hosts in third place because of their inferior tally of silverware.

The hosts have realistic chances of bagging three gold before the curtains come down on the multi-discipline sports festival involving 71 nations here.

The best bet remains woman shuttler and top seed Saina Nehwal who is to battle it out against Mew Choo Wong of Malaysia for the singles gold some time this afternoon.

The women's doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa will have a shot at the gold when it takes on Singapore duo Shinta Mulia Sari and Lei Yao.

The men's hockey team, which has never even won a medal let alone sail into the final at the Games, will have the nation's attention focused on it when it lines up against the world and defending champions Australia in the summit.
     
The team has a golden chance to avenge their defeat to the all-powerful Aussies in the league stage of the competition.
     
India are set to receive one more bronze medal when Achanta Sharath Kamal crosses swords with compatriot Soumyadeep Roy in the play-off tie for third place in men's singles table tennis event.
     
Poulomi Ghatak and Mouma Das also have a chance to increase the bronze tally when they face their Australian rivals Zhenhua Vivian Tan and Peri Campbell Innes in women's doubles play-off tie.