The Indian men's volleyball team staged a remarkable comeback against Qatar to register a thrilling 3-2 victory and book its place in the quarterfinals of the Asian Games on Tuesday.
India recovered from being two sets down and saved nine match points in a dramatic final set before defeating the higher-ranked Qatar side 26-28, 25-27, 25-23, 25-20, 24-22 in a marathon Pool C encounter.
The match lasted two hours and 47 minutes, with India holding its nerve in a tense deciding set to complete its third consecutive victory at the Games.
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All four men's volleyball quarterfinals will be played on Thursday.
India had earlier made a strong start to its Asian Games campaign, defeating Vietnam 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-20) before beating Hong Kong, China by the same scoreline (25-22, 25-19, 25-21).
Jerome Vinith Leads India's Fightback
Jerome Vinith was India's top scorer against Qatar, producing as many as 27 points. All of his points came through spikes as India battled back after losing the opening two sets.
Amit Singh Balwan, who finished with 24 points, was also crucial. In addition to adding two blocks, he scored 22 points via spikes.
For India, Joel Benjamin Jebaraj added 17 more points. He scored one service point, two blocks, and fourteen spike points.
After Qatar won the first two sets, India appeared to be in trouble, but the Indian team eventually turned the match around. After winning the third and fourth sets to force a deciding, the team produced a thrilling victory in the fifth.
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The Indian side eventually prevailed 24-22 in the final set after saving nine match points, completing a memorable comeback and securing its place in the last eight.
The Indian team is aiming for its first podium finish since winning bronze in South Korea in 1986, trying to break a 40-year medal drought at the Asian Games. The team has also won two medals: a silver in 1962 and a bronze in 1958.
India will now turn its attention to the quarterfinals, with all four matches scheduled to be played on Thursday.
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