Saurav Ghoshal & Dinesh Karthik are relatives, no wonder they are excellent at the age of 35: Fans hail Indian squash player after winning first-ever singles medal at CWG 2022
Saurav Ghoshal created history when he became the first Indian squash player to win a Commonwealth Games singles medal when he beat England's James Willstrop 11-6, 11-1, 11-4 to win the bronze medal on Wednesday (August 3).
Saurav was unstoppable from the word go. He made his intentions very clear with his trademark shots – laden with power and precise angles. Willstrop, the local favorite, couldn't muster good placement shots as the agile Indian had answers to all of his questions.
Such was Saurav's dominance on the night that he won 33 points out of the 44 played against the 2018 gold medal winner, reducing him to a mere spectator for most parts of the game.
The 35-year-old Indian breezed through the first set 11-6 and took off on a different level from there on. His deft touches and good court coverage meant Willstrop was reduced to a mere spectator for most of the second set.
After winning the second set 11-1, there was only one way the match could proceed. It kept to script as Saurav was relentless in attack. The England player tried to stage a comeback but Saurav was too hot to handle on his day as he closed out the third set at 11-4 to go into the annals of Indian squash history.
Read: "It is hard to not be 100% emotionally invested" - Fans laud Indian women's hockey team after 3-2 win over Canada
Fans hail Saurav Ghoshal after historic win
Fans from all quarters took to social media to congratulate the Indian on his historic win.
Many drew parallels between how Dinesh Karthik and Saurav Ghoshal, who are related to each other in extended family circles, are peaking and creating history with exuberent performances at the age of 35. Saurav Ghoshal is married to Dia, Dipika Pallikal's sister, who is married to cricketer Dinesh Karthik.
Here are some of the reactions:
Also read: CWG 2022: Indian weightlifter Lovepreet Singh wins bronze medal in men's 109 kg final