CHENNAI: Depending on your perspectives, you can evaluate Tamil Nadu’s 74-70 semifinal scrap over Services in the 62nd Senior National Basketball Championship. At one end, they soaked nerves to endure the extra time, and on the extreme, they were culpable of frittering away a 17-point cushion, which roused the contest to a thrilling climax.
Until half-time the hosts had a vice-like grip on the match, shooting at will and defending resolutely.Twenty-year-old Rikkin Pethani was their protagonist on either ends. He deployed his six-feet-seven-inch frame to optimal effect. A haul of 15 points and 22 rebounds mirrored his impact.
Mihir Pandey and Saravana Rajan brought in all their experience to complement the vibrancy of the youth. But Tamil Nadu’s arrest began with Pandey striking falsetto notes, as his passes went awry and accuracy asunder.
If at all any complacency had crept, this was against a team most renowned for their never-say-die spirit. Masterminded by Narendra Kumar Grewal and allied by Pravin Kumar and Dalip Kumar, they staged an insidious comeback, outsmarting Tamil Nadu in the latter quarter (33-21). In fact, they seemed to have the match under control as the match wore on. But a bevy of spilled chances towards the end prompted over time.
Leads were frequently swapped in over time, before Services suffered a setback as Grewal was “fouled out”. Then, with the teams locked at 70-70, skipper Saravana Rajan hustled into the Services arc, and not only pouched two precious points but also earned a free-throw, which sealed the affair for the hosts.
The hosts face an uphill title clash against Punjab, who dethroned defending champions Indian Railways 95-61. It was a typically Punjab exhibition of nuanced skills and uncompromising precision.
But the indomitable Railways’ women were hardly tested in the 76-41 canter over hosts, beset with a task of enormous proportion, one which they weren’t equipped with, neither mentally nor physically.
A lead of 9-6 was but a flattering start, but soon Railways restored normalcy. Tamil Nadu exports Anita Pauldurai and S Kokila stirred up a stirring fare. As the contest progressed, Railways illustrated the sort of remorseless efficacy that had stood them in good stead through their eight-title winning juggernaut. Geethu Anna Jose was again peerless. She stamped her remarkable quality, tucking in 25 points and fooling her markers with proficient ease. In their 26th successive final, Railways will counter the only team that stretched them in the league stage, Chhattisgarh, who upset regular finalists Delhi 59-56, riding on skipper Seema Singh’s stellar show (30 points).
Results (semifinal): Women: Indian Railways 76 (Geethu Anna Jose 25, Anith Pauldurai 15) bt TN 41 (V Sangeetha 12), Chhattisgarh 59 (Seema 30) bt Delhi 56 (Prasanthi Singh 14).
Men’s: TN 73 (Mihir Pandey 23, Saravana Rajan 18) bt Services 70 (Narendra Grewal 20, Praveen Kumar 16, Dalip Kumar 16), Punjab 95 (Talwinderjith Singh Sahi 29, Amritpal Singh 24, Amjyot Singh 22 ) bt Indian Railways 61 (Gagandeep Singh 25).
Final line-up: Women: Indian Railways Vs Chhattisgarh; Men: Tamil Nadu Vs Punjab.