India lawn bowls team assured a historic maiden Commonwealth Games medal after defeating New Zealand 16-13 in the semifinal of the women's fours event on Monday.
This will be India's first final appearance ever in the women's fours format of the competition.
The women's fours team comprising Lovely Choubey (lead), Pinki (second), Nayanmoni Saikia (third), and Rupa Rani Tirkey (skip) will face South Africa in the gold medal clash on Tuesday.
"We cannot express our feelings in mere words. We have fought as a team and now our journey doesn't end here," an emotional lawn bowler Tirkey said.
"We have to play in a similar fashion against South Africa and do what hasn't been done before," she added.
Against New Zealand, after conceding a 0-5 lead after the second end, the Indian team made a strong back against the Kiwis. The South African team comprised Selina Goddard (lead), Nicole Toomey (second), Tayle Bruce (third), and Val Smith (skip).
After end-9, they were tied 7-7 and after end-10, India took a 10-7 lead. But it was a close contest between the two sides, as New Zealand was marginally 13-12 ahead after end-14.
A brilliant shot from Tirkey helped India seal the game with a 16-13 scoreline.
The Indian men's pair was knocked out of the competition on Sunday after going down 8-26 to Northern Ireland in the quarterfinal.
Lawn Bowls rules:
Lawn Bowls is played in three formats essentially singles, doubles, and fours, depending on the number of individuals pitted against each other.
The player/team which manages to place its bowls closer to the stationary target, called 'The Jack', are awarded the points.
The bowls need to be rolled on the floor from a distance.
In the fours, or four-player, format, each team gets eight throws, or rolls, from one 'end'. One 'end' means completion of one round.
One team has to throw the bowls from 18 ends to complete the match and it happens circularly.
The team with more points after 18 ends of throws will take the contest.
(Inputs from PTI
