Phantasmagoria: India's golden double at Khalifa Tennis Complex

Men doubles victory ceremony. We are standing next to the flag behind. Rohit is wearing white jacket and me brown.

India's dream run in tennis was reduced from trble to double when India's dream gal Sania Mirza was beaten left, right and centre by Chinese Doubles world No.1 Zheng Jie. Although Sania sent her packing in the second set 6-1, before losing the first one to her 4-6, but it was the Chinese babe who taught some lessons on court to the hotty Indian miss.

Well she taught her to miss the gold, which could have been easily her's. With the massive crowd support, everybody thought her to win, but Sania let off everything astray and lost control. Maddening it was at the Khalifa Tennis Complex's Centre Court. According to a local scribe, "Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova and most of the tennis greats have been here, but never has the stadium witnessed a crowd like this. It's amazing for Doha, what Sania has done to tennis and the Asian Games."

If Tuesday was Sania's day (all semifinals happened on this day), Wednesday was the day of "Lee-Hesh".

The Indian pair were down and out in straight sets in the men's doubles finals, but battled seven matchpoints to come back into the game and beat 24-year-old Thai twins Sanchai and Sonchat Ratiwatana 5-7, 7-6, 6-3 in a rain-hit final that lasted close to three hours.

However, after their win, which lifted million hearts came the plunge. Well, it was expected. Day before the finals, Mahesh Bhupathi had told some media guys about the inevitable. "Wait for me after the finals. I am suffering for the past 11 days, and take it out only after the finals. I have had enough. Meet me after the finals. I will open my heart out." Indian scribes knew about it, but still were praying that the Indian pair would make up.

However, Bhupathi lashed out against his partner Leander. The same partner, with whom, for the first time in the tournament, he had done their trademark - chest thumping - a few hours back. In fact, for the first time in the Asian Games, the pair jumped and pumped their hearts during the finals.

The crowd roared, journalists soared and the Indian flag fluttered high. The packed crowd at the stadium had it all - the rowdiness of English football fans, slogans of Indian political rallies, and atmosphere of a cricket stadium. An experience of a lifetime! (To be continued...)

Meanwhile, the party continues in Doha...