India men’s table tennis team secured a semi-final spot with an easy 3-0 victory over Bangladesh in the quarter-final of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on Sunday.
The Indians will next face Nigeria in the semi-final on Monday while England will take on Singapore in the other last-four encounter.
India had earlier cruised into the quarterfinals with identical 3-0 victories over Barbados, Singapore, and Northern Ireland respectively in their group matches.
India started off their quarterfinal match with the doubles pair of Harmeet Desai and G Sathiyan. The duo looked in complete control as they overcame Ramhimlian Bawn and Mohutasin Ahmed Ridoy of Bangladesh 11-8, 11-6, 11-2 to offer India a 1-0 lead.
Next in fray for India was veteran Sharath Kamal, who demolished Mohammed Rifat Sabbir 11-4, 11-7, 11-2 in the men’s singles. The 40-year-old's vast experience proved a little too hot to handle for his Bangladeshi counterpart.
With just one match required to seal the fate, G Sathiyan came back once again and guided India into the semi-finals with relative ease. The Indian paddler thumped Mohutasin Ahmed Ridoy 11-2, 11-3, 11-5 to make it 3-0 in India’s favour.
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