Defending champions India stormed into the semi-finals of the men's table tennis team event at the Commonwealth Games after thrashing Bangladesh 3-0 in the third last-eight tie here on Sunday.
The men's team, led by Achanta Sharath Kamal, had outclassed Barbados, Singapore and Northern Ireland by identical 3-0 margin in the group stage to make the quarter-finals.
First to turn up in the quarter-finals, doubles pair of Harmeet Desai and Sathiyan Gnansekaran defeated Ramhimilian Bawm and Mohutasin Ahmed Ridoy of Bangladesh in three straight games 11-8, 11-6, 11-2 to hand India a 1-0 lead.
Veteran Sharath Kamal then trounced Md Rifat Sibbar in the men's singles 11-4, 11-7, 11-2 to extend India's lead.
In the other singles match, Gnansekaran dominated the proceedings from start to finish to notch up an easy 11-2, 11-3, 11-5 win and seal the tie.
women's team out
Defending champions India, led by star paddler Manika Batra, crashed out of the women's table tennis team event after losing to Malaysia 3-2 in the quarterfinals on Saturday.
After recording an easy win in a group stage match earlier in the day, the Indian women's team lost to Malaysia in the last-eight stage. Batra won one singles match and lost the other as the Indian team made a pre-mature exit from the tournament.
India were on the backfoot after the pair of Reeth Tennison and Sreeja Akula lost the opening doubles match 1-3 (7-11, 6-11, 11-5, 6-11) before Batra levelled the tie with a 3-2 (11-8, 11-5, 8-11, 9-11, 11-3) win over Ying Ho in the singles.
Akula then made amends of the doubles loss as she thrashed Li Sian Alice Chang 3-0 (11-6, 11-6, 11-9). But Batra failed to seal the tie for India as she lost to Karen Lyne 3-0 (6-11, 3-11, 9-11) in the crucial fourth match as Malaysia made another comeback in the tie.
Malaysia took advantage of the momentum as Ying Ho beat Tennison 3-2 (10-12, 11-8, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9 ) in a tight deciding match to break Indian hearts.