Muscat: India A achieved a decisive victory over Oman A while India B faced defeat against a strong French team on the first day of the snooker World Cup team competition on Thursday. Pankaj Advani, a three-time IBSF champion representing India A, initiated the destruction in Group F with a commanding 80-4 victory against Omar Sultan. Although Advani did not register a significant break, his opponent was unable to challenge the Indian star effectively. Aditya Mehta, who was part of the victorious team in 2019 alongside Advani, took some time to find his form against Ahmed Alkhusaibi. Once he found his rhythm, the Mumbaikar made a frame-winning break of 53, giving India A a 2-0 lead.
Brijesh Damani then teamed up with Advani to defeat Sultan and Alkhusaibi 62-20, completing the sweep. In contrast, India B, consisting of Dhvaj Haria and the lesser-known Hussian Khan, lost momentum after a promising start against France in Group A. Left-handed Haria, the National 6-red snooker champion, dominated Gauvain Bazin 134-0 with a break of 93 in the opening frame. However, Nicolas Mortreux quickly equalized for France with a 71-10 win over Hussain in the subsequent match. The duo of Mortreux and Bazin then secured a crucial doubles victory on the black ball, taking a 2-1 advantage before Mortreux narrowly defeated Haria 79-49, resulting in a final score of 3-1.
Results: Group A: France bt India B 3-1: (Gauvain Bazin lost to Dhvaj Haria 0-134 (93); Nicolas Mortreux bt Hussain Khan 71-10; Bazin/ Mortreux bt Haria/ Hussian 60-56; Mortreux bt Haria 79-49). Group F: India A bt Oman A 3-0: (Pankaj Advani bt Omar Sultan 80-4, Aditya Mehta bt Ahmed Alkhusaibi 73 (53) -1, Advani/ Brijesh Damani bt Alkhusaibi/ Sultan 62-20).
