KARACHI, Aug 22: Formidable India fought tooth and nail to overcome a fighting Bahrain outfit 8-7 in the three-and-a-half hour epic final to win Pentangular 6-Red Snooker team series at the Karachi Club on Friday.

The final went to full distance as Bahrain put up a stunning performance against experienced Indian team to the surprise of all and sundry.

Needing just two frames to clinch the battle after Pankaj Advani and Manan Chandra have won their matches 3-2 apiece, celebrity Yasin Merchant sealed the fate by winning the decisive frame eventually losing his best of five encounters to Mohammad Omar 2-3.

“I’m very happy to win the trophy for India,” Yasin, a former Asian snooker champion, told the gathering at the prize distribution ceremony. Applauding Bahrain, the veteran cueist said he was not expecting such a commendable performance from them.

He attributed the victory to the hard work put in by his compatriots Pankaj Advani and Manan Chandra.

“It’s a good result against a superior Indian team,” an elated Habib Subah, 25, told Dawn in post match comments.He disclosed this was only his second appearance in a 6-Red contest the first being in Thailand two months back.

Bahrain, he said, clinched third place in the Arab snooker team championship held at Qatar recently.

The 26-year-old Hamed Dhaif tasted the nerves of Pankaj, a former world champion, by snatching two frames on way to going down 2-3. The latter was home 49-1, 14-44, 38-15, 38-33, 21-28.

Manan Chandra followed the footsteps of Pankaj and enhanced India’s slender lead to 6-4 by getting the better of Habib Subah by the identical 3-2 margin. The scores were 31-20, 39-15, 60-1, 14-42, 5-39.

Yasin, a veteran campaigner, was caught on the wrong foot by his opponent Mohammad Omar, 34, who despite emerging 3-2 victorious failed to save his team from defeat.

In the best of five frames clash, Yasin trailed 1-3 (14-36, 73-0, 27-37, 14-50) before bouncing back to do justice to his standing by claiming the last frame 30-14.

The victorious Indian team received winning purse of Rs150,000 and a trophy while Bahrain got runners-up prize of Rs100,000 besides trophy.

Final results:

India bt Bahrain 8-7.

Pankaj Advani bt Hamed Dhaif 3-2 (49-1, 14-44, 38-15, 38-33, 21-28); Manan Chandra bt Habib Subah 3-2 (31-20, 39-15, 60-1, 14-42, 5-39); Yasin Merchant lost to Mohammad Omar 2-3 (14-36, 73-0, 27-37, 14-50, 30-14).