Trailing 2-3 after the opening round, Panghal, who looked to put behind the ghost of the Tokyo Olympics where he made a first-round exit, had to dig deep in his reservoir of experience. The Asian Games champion upped the ante, landing hooks and jabs at will to take the round.
Nitu Ghanghas (48 kg) also remained on course for a gold in her first appearance here on Saturday while Indian boxer Amit Panghal (51 kg) advanced to his second straight Commonwealth Games final.
Panghal, who is competing for the yellow medal after winning silver in the last competition, overcame an aggressive Patrick Chinyemba of Zambia to win by a score of 5-0 on a unanimous decision. On the other side, Nitu defeated Priyanka Dhillon of Canada to claim the RSC (Referee Stops Contest) victory in the minimum weight division.
The 21-year-old Nitu was so self-assured that she played with an open guard, allowing her adversary to strike while making excellent use of her straight jabs and combo strikes.
The match ultimately had to be called by the referee. In order to win their first gold medals, both boxers must defeat local rivals Kiaran Macdonald (men’s fly) and Demie-Jade Resztan (women’s minimum) in their respective finals on Sunday.
“I know it would be tough, there would be loud cheers for him but I’ve to stay focused. Can’t let it go this time,” a determined Panghal, who lost to another Briton and Tokyo Olympics champion in Galal Yafai in 2018, told PTI. Panghal, 26, was left on the back foot as his younger, more aggressive opponent landed a barrage of punches on the world championship silver medallist.
Trailing 2-3 after the opening round, Panghal, who looked to put behind the ghost of the Tokyo Olympics where he made a first-round exit, had to dig deep in his reservoir of experience. The Asian Games champion upped the ante, landing hooks and jabs at will to take the round.
The final three minutes were keenly contested with both pugilists trying to leave an impression but four of the judges ruled in favour of Panghal.
Anamika 
Harsh