India's experienced lawn bowls pair of Rupa Rani Tirkey and Pinki Singh maintained their unbeaten run at the Commonwealth Games with a hard-fought victory over Tonga in the women's pairs Section B match on Saturday. The Indian duo clinched a 2-0 win after prevailing in a tie-breaker, keeping their semifinal hopes firmly alive.
Rupa and Pinki had earlier registered victories over Malta and South Africa to make it three wins from three matches.
Tonga's Paris Baker and Milika Nathan made the stronger start, taking the opening end to move 1-0 ahead. Baker's precise deliveries put the Indian pair under pressure despite Rupa successfully completing all three of her bowls.
India bounced back in the second end as Rupa and Pinki combined effectively to level the scores. Rupa's outstanding second bowl shifted the momentum in India's favour, and the pair maintained control from there to take the opening set 5-2.
Tonga responded strongly in the second set, with Baker and Nathan dominating the early exchanges to surge into a 6-0 lead after the opening three ends. Although the Indian duo mounted a late fightback, they fell short as Tonga claimed the set 6-4, forcing a tie-breaker.
With the match on the line, Rupa and Pinki delivered under pressure. Rupa handed India an early advantage in the decider before Pinki sealed the contest with a composed finish, preserving India's perfect record in the competition.
The duo, who were part of India's historic women's fours team that won Commonwealth Games gold in Birmingham in 2022, have now won all three of their Section B fixtures.
England also remain unbeaten with three wins from three matches but currently lead the group standings after winning one more set than the Indian pair. Rupa and Pinki will return to action on Sunday, July 26.
