Shuttler Saina confident of bouncing back
MUMBAI: Star India shuttler Saina Nehwal is confident of bouncing back to somewhere close to where she was before her knee surgery after the Rio Olympics last year.
The Hyderabad ace, however, conceded that she felt a bit apprehensive in attacking the net and to overcome it she is working hard with coach Vimal Kumar.
“There is nothing much that can be planned as of now.
“The surgery phase was a little difficult. It is not easy to come back after such a surgery because there are a lot of movements you suddenly forget. The cross movement is a struggle to deal with, and it takes time to get your movement back,” Saina told reporters here on Sunday.
Saina spoke at the Edel- weiss Brain Bout Season 2 Quiz finale.
“Fitness is important because of the scheduling of back to back tournaments. I can see that I am not very far from my best. It will come with a 5-6 week break,” said the former women’s world no. 1 and 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist.
“There will definitely be issues when you come out of injury, it remains in your mind. I don’t feel it as it is a natural phenomenon. But we are working on the net area”, she said.
About improving her ranking from current world No. 9 Saina said: “I am not thinking about ranking, it’s about winning tournaments. Ranking will obviously improve by winning tournaments.”
“I never lost a match badly and have given my best. As of now I am not hurrying in any way. I had played only three super series and the Asian Championship,” said Saina.
The ace shuttler said she intended to play in Thailand Open, Indonesian Open and Australian Open before the August World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.
“I have to play the next three tournaments - end of season- from there to Glasgow,” she said.
Although China have fallen behind a bit, Saina felt they still remained a powerhouse in the shuttle game.
“The Chinese are still a powerhouse, and you cannot ignore them. The older Chinese lot are a lot superior to the current lot,” she said. MOHALI: A century from Hashim Amla and a half-century by Shaun Marsh helped Kings XI Punjab post 189/3 against Gujarat Lions in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match here on Sunday evening.
Amla plundered 104 runs off 60 balls with eight boundaries and five sixes before being trapped lbw by an accurate yorker from Gujarat pacer Basil Thampi on the penultimate ball of the innings. This was his second hundred in the IPL. Amla was also involved two crucial partnerships with Marsh and Glenn Maxwell. Marsh made 58 runs with six boundaries studding his 43-ball knock.
Gujarat pacers Thampi, Pradeep Sangwan and Dhawal Kulkarni picked up a wicket each. Asked to bat first, Punjab were off to a slow start as Gujarat pacers Sangwan and Kulkarni maintained a tight line. Sangwan struck in the very first over with a chest high-short ball to Gujarat opener Martin Guptill on the off stump line. The Kiwi star tried to hook the ball but only managed to offer a top edge to Thampi at long leg.
However, Amla and Marsh helped the hosts shake off the early jitters and steadied the innings with a 125-run partnership in 89-balls. Amla batted well, showcasing his impeccable technique to find the gaps at regular intervals. Kulkarni finally brought the stand to an end, dismissing Marsh with a slower delivery. The Australian was outfoxed by the change of pace and miscued his shot with Aaron Finch doing the honours at long on.
Marsh’s departure prompted Amla to go on the offensive and the South African star hit two sixes off consecutive overs. Known for his classical technical batting, Amla also showcased his ability to improvise. Thanks to big hitting Amla and excellent support from the other end by Maxwell, the Punjab run rate showed no signs of slowing down. The duo added 50 runs between them off 25 balls with Amla doing most of the scoring. Brief scores: Kings XI Punjab: 189/3 in 20 overs (Hashim Amla 104, Shaun Marsh 58) vs Gujarat Lions.