Rio Olympic Games bronze medallist for India, Sakshi Malik, played her role as captain of the Maharathis with elan, winning the crucial fourth point to put the contest beyond the Sultans reach. She trounced her compatriot Monia 18-2 in what proved to be walk in the park.
The two teams were locked 2-2 after four contests but Satender Malik edged out Hitender 7-6 to put the Maharathis ahead. Sakshi then walked into the stadium like a rock star and showed what she is all about.
Delhi Sultans were on the back-foot right at the start, with their captain and star player Sushil Kumar being removed from the equation. She lost the toss and Sakshi Malik promptly blocked him.
In return, Sushil opted to block Odunaya of Nigeria, a formidable force in the 57-kg category.
That, however, didnt deter Sushils teammate. Sandeep Tomar began on a winning note, picking up the first point of the tie. The 2017 Asian Indoor Games bronze medallist got the better of a fighting Andrey Yatsenko 14-9 in the 57-kg mens freestyle clash.
The Mumbai team asserted itself in the second match, with Seema beating Maroi Mezien of Tunisia in the 50-kg womens competition.
It was a defensive fight, with both not making any aggressive moves. Only one point was taken in the first period, by Seema; Seema won four more points in the next for a strategic 5-1 win.
The Sultans regained the lead, with Azerbaijans Aslan Albvorov notching up a comprehensive 15-0 win over Satyawart Kadian in the 92-kg class. The 2017 World Championships bronze medalist was a class above the Indian who struggled all the way through.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
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