Former champions Air India withstood a strong challenge from IHF Development XI before coming through 2-1 in a Pool `X' semi-final league match of the 45th Bombay Gold Cup Hockey Tournament in Mumbai on Friday.

With their second successive victory in the four-team group, local challengers Air India enhanced their chances of making it to the summit round.

In their opening match of the semi-final league stage, Air India had stunned defending champions Army XI 3-1.

Finding it difficult to strike up any sort of fluency in their attacking patterns in the opening session, Air India regrouped after the change of ends.

Efforts from defender Len Aiyappa and seasoned campaigner Gavin Ferreira enabled the airmen recover from a first-half deficit after Dharmavir Singh had put IHF ahead.

Drag-flicker Len Aiyappa is the joint-top scorer in the tournament along with Jugraj Singh (Punjab Police) with seven goals.

The opening match of the day saw Gurvinder Singh Chandi getting both the goals for Namdhari XI, who beat Border Security Force, Jalandhar, 2-0.

Maintaining their fine run, Namdharis too registered their second win while for BSF it was their first defeat in two matches.

In Saturday's matches, defending champions Army XI face Punjab Police, while ONGC battle it out against Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited.