NEW DELHI, Oct 7: Saina Nehwal led India to victory over Canada on Thursday and set up a clash with England which could see the hosts reach the final of the Commonwealth Games badminton team event for the first time.

The only Indian woman ever to win a Super Series title, Nehwal was able to play in second gear much of the time during a 21-16, 21-13 win over Anna Rice which put her team in an unassailable 3-0 lead.

There were moments however when the Canadian played very well, notably when she reduced a seven-point deficit to two in the first game and then remained closely in contention until midway through the second.

Nehwal tried to take it all languidly in her stride, on and off the court, but there were just two moments when her stroke-making talent sharply revealed itself.

One was when she reached 15-11 in the second game with an improbable overhead backhand clear which went for a wrong-footing winner over Rice’s head.

And Nehwal followed it with a subtly disguised lift winner to reach 16-11 and break the back of her opponent’s worthy resistance.—AFP