Basketball World Cup qualifier: Saudi Arabia too good for India

CHENNAI: The script is becoming all too familiar. For the third time in the last few months, Saudi Arabia flexed their muscles against the lower-ranked India, completing a double in the World Cup qualifying phase with a business-like 81-57 victory here on Sunday.

In the Asian Group D battle at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, the gulf in class between the teams was evident throughout, with Saudi Arabia in cruise control despite hardly moving a gear. It was a stroll in the park for the world No. 64 side, to the extent that one of their standout performers, Marzouq Almuwallad (13 points), displayed a few dance moves after earning free throws in the third quarter.

By that time, the writing was on the wall. For the second match in succession in the qualifying campaign, India’s shooting profligacy haunted them, much to the frustration of head coach Scott Flemming. The American tactician, who had stressed on the importance of converting three-pointers in the lead-up to the clash, cut a sorry figure on the sidelines even as Kanwar Sandhu (19 points) brought some cheer to the India camp.

“We took some tough shots early on. This guy (Sandhu) shot well, but as a team, we were a bit cold. We do not have the athleticism and quickness to stay close to teams like Saudi Arabia. We have got to make (convert) shots to hang in there. Nobody likes to lose the way we did, but we will keep fighting,” said Flemming after India successfully converted only 29% of their shots.

For the Arab team, Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman (24 points), a naturalised player named after the legendary boxer, ensured world No. 76 India did not punch above their weight. While Abdur-Rahkman put daylight between the sides with a second-quarter blitz, Ali Shubayli earlier set the foundation for a lop-sided encounter in the first period.

‘Man mountain’ Mohammed Alsuwailem, standing at 6’9’’, quietly went about his business at both ends of the court – his daunting presence was enough to prevent India from constructing intricate attacks in the ‘D’ and gave Saudi Arabian shooters more freedom in the arc.

Result: Saudi Arabia bt India 81-57 (19-9, 24-12, 26-15, 12-21).



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