India blow away Ghana 5-0 in mixed team badminton at Commonwealth Games

GLASGOW: The Indian badminton team launched its Commonwealth Games campaign with a dominating 5-0 win over minnows Ghana in a Group B match of the mixed team event at the 20th edition of the multi-sport event here today.

India hardly broke any sweat as Parupalli Kashyap started the proceeding, spanking Daniel Sam 21-6 21-16 in a 27-minute men's singles match to put his team in the driver's seat right from the start.

World Championship bronze medallist P V Sindhu then taught Stella Amasah a lesson or two in badminton with a 21-7 21-5 victory in the women's singles competition to give India a 2-0 lead.

Men's doubles pair of Akshay Dewalkar and Pranaav Chopra thrashed Emmanuel Donkor and Abraham Ayittey 21-7 21-11 in just 22 minutes to make it 3-0 in India's favour.

Commonwealth Games gold medallist pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa then another 17 minutes to brush aside Evelyn Botwe and Diana Archer as India continued their rampaging run.

Finally, P C Thulasi and Kidambi Srikanth -- both singles players -- paired up and trounced another makeshift combination of Sam and Amasah 21-5 21-9 in a mixed doubles match to put an end to Ghana's misery at the Emirates Arena.

India will next take on Uganda.