Ahmedabad: India produced a strong all-round performance to defeat Kazakhstan 82-61 in their final Group D fixture of the FIBA U-18 Asia Cup at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex on Tuesday. The win earned India a place in the pre-quarterfinals, where they will face Iran on Thursday.
After suffering heavy defeats against Japan and South Korea by 35 and 29 points respectively, India bounced back with greater intensity against Kazakhstan. The hosts edged ahead 22-21 at the end of the opening quarter.
Kazakhstan relied heavily on three-point attempts, prompting India to tighten their man-to-man defence and restrict their opponents’ scoring opportunities. The momentum shifted in the second quarter when India, trailing 28-30, levelled the game through a lay-up from Shekhar Rathee.
India then produced a decisive 15-6 run, capped by a three-pointer at the buzzer, to take a 45-36 advantage into half-time.
The hosts continued to dictate the pace after the break. Quick transitions and effective scoring inside the paint helped India extend their advantage to 65-47 by the end of the third quarter.
Kazakhstan attempted to fight back with a more physical approach early in the final period and kept India scoreless for the opening two-and-a-half minutes. However, India regained control through effective ball movement and intelligent spacing, eventually securing a comfortable 21-point victory.
Captain Piyush Choudhary led India’s scoring with 21 points, while Ansh Tomar contributed 17 and Armaan added 13. Kazakhstan’s Sayan Mamutov was their leading scorer with 24 points.
India also held a clear advantage on the boards, outrebounding Kazakhstan 56-38.
Reflecting on the victory, head coach Paramdeep Singh said, “At the beginning of the second quarter, we switched to a man-to-man defensive approach to limit their scoring opportunities. This forced Kazakhstan to double-team our players. Our ball movement was much better today, and we converted our chances to take control of the game.”
Looking ahead to the pre-quarterfinal against Iran, Singh added, “Anyone can win. We will look to play aggressive basketball.”
