FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers: India Lose to Saudi Arabia in Window 1 Opener
India struggle to capitalise on second-chance opportunities despite dominating the offensive glass with 24 rebounds.
Riyadh, November 27: India fell 75–51 to Saudi Arabia in their opening game of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers at the Riyadh Green Hall on Thursday, starting Window 1 on the back foot.
The road to the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Qatar features teams from Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe, and the Americas competing across six qualification windows for coveted spots at the global event.
India, placed in Group D, will battle Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Qatar in the Asian Qualifiers. Window 1 features a home-and-away double-header against Saudi Arabia, with India having played the opener in Riyadh before hosting the reverse fixture in Chennai on November 30.
Game Summary
Saudi Arabia set the tone right from tip-off. The hosts drew first blood with a basket from Marzouq Almuwallad, but Arvind Muthu Krishnan’s early three, followed by a quick two-pointer, handed India a brief 5-4 lead. That, however, was the only moment India held control.
Saudi Arabia responded with a scoring burst, stretching the floor and exploiting gaps in the Indian defence to close the first quarter up 28–16.
In the second quarter, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman took over the scoring duties, repeatedly breaking down the Indian defence and helping Saudi Arabia maintain a comfortable 45–32 lead at halftime.
After the break, India struggled to find any rhythm. Despite working hard on the boards, the team failed to capitalize on second-chance opportunities, while the Gulf nation continued to dictate possession and pace. By the time the final period began, the hosts remained comfortably in control, holding the Indian Cagers to just eight points. They eventually sealed a dominant 24-point win.
Key Performances
For India, Harsh Dagar was the lone double-digit scorer with 10 points, helped by two well-timed three-pointers. Muin Bek Hafeez, despite scoring just four points, emerged as India’s most efficient contributor as he grabbed eight rebounds.
Momentum Shifts
There were no real momentum shifts during the game; Saudi Arabia dominated from the opening minutes and maintained command throughout. Their decisive 15–0 scoring run at the end of the third frame effectively put the contest beyond India’s reach.
Thumbs Up (India)
India’s elite work on the offensive glass was one of the few bright spots of the night. The team pulled down an impressive 24 offensive rebounds, far surpassing Saudi Arabia’s tally of seven.
India Head Coach, Scott Flemming, said during the press conference:
“We haven’t been a great rebounding team up to this point, and I thought tonight we were outstanding. We just didn’t finish any of the putbacks and we couldn’t hit the threes and so I feel like, normally the games we’ve won we’ve hit you know 14, 15 and 17 threes and tonight we didn’t look like it at all and so I feel like we’ll come back and shoot it a lot better and we got open shots but we got to take care of some things on the defensive end and we can’t turn it over that much.”
Thumbs Down (India)
However, despite dominating the board, India was unable to convert these extra possessions into meaningful scoring. Those 24 rebounds resulted in only 14 second-chance points, which ultimately weakened their ability to close the gap.
Another concern for India was its lack of pace. They managed only four fast-break points, consistently struggling to speed up the game or create easy transition baskets.
Final Result
Saudi Arabia (Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman 23 pts & 6 asts, Mohammed Alsuwailem 16 pts & 9 reb, Musab Tariq M Kadi 13 pts & 3 reb & 2 ast) bt India (Harsh Dagar 10 pts & 4 reb, Palpreet Singh Brar 7 pts & 4 reb, Pranav Prince 5 pts & 9 reb & 3 ast) 75-51 [28-16, 17-16, 16-11, 14-8]
Next Up
India vs Saudi Arabia - November 30 - 18:00 IST at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium (Chennai).
Entry for the game is free. The game will also be streamed on Courtside 1981 and the FIBA YouTube channel.
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