Despite resounding victories from Lakshya Sen and the doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, India, hindered by a last-minute injury to HS Prannoy, faltered after establishing an early 2-0 lead. This allowed China to make a triumphant comeback and retain their Asian Games crown in the men’s team badminton event.
Lakshya mounted what could be considered the greatest comeback of his career, and Satwik and Chirag’s unstoppable performance provided India with a 2-0 advantage. However, in the absence of Prannoy, who was sidelined with a back issue, India were the clear underdogs on paper. Kidambi Srikanth faced a tough 22-24, 9-21 defeat against Li Shi Feng, and the pair of Sai Pratheek and Dhruv Kapila endured a 6-21, 15-21 loss in the second doubles match.
Mithun Manjunath, Prannoy’s replacement, faced the formidable Hong Yan, but the Chinese player ruthlessly dispatched his opponent, sparking celebrations in their camp. In the end, China rallied to win the final three ties, securing a 3-2 victory and clinching the gold medal once again. India had to settle for silver, which nonetheless marked a historic achievement.
This represented India’s fourth medal in the men’s badminton team event at the Games, ending a 37-year gap since the Syed Modi-led team secured a bronze in Seoul 1986. India had previously won bronze in New Delhi in 1982 and Tehran in 1974. However, for the first time ever, India secured a silver in this discipline. Overall, it was India’s second silver in the Asian Games, with PV Sindhu having finished in second place four years ago in Jakarta.
Lakshya’s top-notch resilience
Lakshya seized the first point, off Shi’s serve. The players engaged in a spirited exchange of shots, with Lakshya’s precise placement allowing him to drop the shuttle near the net. At this stage, India had a 2-0 lead in the opening game. Lakshya then unleashed a powerful cross-court smash that left Shi without speechless. The Chinese attempted to return the shuttle with a backhand, but it landed in his own half, giving India a three-point lead at 6-3.
Despite a brilliant rally between the two players, Lakshya conceded a point. However, he displayed remarkable skills in returning Shi’s powerful smashes with stylish backhands, maintaining India’s lead at 9-5. Lakshya’s intentions became crystal clear as he led 11-6 at the midway stage of the first game. Throughout the game, he built pressure on Shi by sending powerful smashes and occasionally surprising him with deceptive net drops. Shi responded equally well, sending a smash across the line that Lakshya managed to return. Still, Shi was able to drop the shuttle on the other side of the court, as India maintained their lead.
Lakshya faced a brief setback with an unforced error, allowing Shi to score four consecutive points, narrowing the gap to 15-14. The game then reached a critical stage, with both players locked at 16-16, and a neck-and-neck battle ensued. Lakshya’s powerful cross-court smash earned him a crucial point, but Shi retaliated with a well-placed smash targeting the body of the World No. 14. But in the end, it was Lakshya who clinched the opening game, overcoming late pressure as he reached game point first at 19. He secured the game 22-20 after equalizing the score and adding two more points.
The second game saw Shi winning the first point, but Lakshya quickly levelled the score at 3-3. Both players fought fiercely, with Lakshya taking an 8-6 lead before Shi gained momentum, securing the next three points. Lakshya made an impressive comeback, scoring three consecutive points to make it 11-13. Unfortunately, he encountered difficulties near the net, allowing China to extend their lead to 16-11. As Shi approached game point at 20-14, Lakshya Sen produced a late fight, grabbing three consecutive points. But ultimately, Shi broke Lakshya’s serves with a smash, securing the second game 21-14.
With each player winning a game, the match entered a decisive third game. Shi started positively, taking the first two points, but Lakshya quickly found his groove and levelled the score at 4-all. However, Shi extended his lead to 7-4. Despite instructions from the coach, Shi continued to impress, leading 11-7 at the midway point of the deciding game. Lakshya showed moments of brilliance, reducing the deficit with some well-placed shots. However, Shi remained in control, extending his lead to 14-10.
In a remarkable turnaround, Lakshya then picked up four consecutive points, tying the score at 14-all. Shi committed a rare service error but quickly recovered, delivering a cross-court smash to regain the lead at 16-15. In a crucial moment, Shi surprised Lakshya by returning a shuttle that appeared to be heading wide, but the Chinese player managed to keep it close to the net. Lakshya, however, returned the shuttle and secured the point with a well-executed back flip to the other side of the court, taking a 19-16 lead. Despite Shi saving two match points, he failed to return a body smash by Lakshya near the net. With a final score of 21-18, Lakshya clinched the third game and handed India a 1-0 advantage in the gold medal match, concluding one of the most riveting badminton games of his career.
No stopping Chirag and Satwiksairaj
The doubles match featuring Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty against the Chinese pair of Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang commenced with the Indian duo taking an early lead, as the score stood at 5-3 in India’s favour. The Indian pair showcased flawless badminton, with Chirag exhibiting seamless movement across the court, effortlessly returning the shuttle. Satwik complemented his partner’s performance effectively. As the match progressed, Satwik took the front court position, and India continued to dominate, building a commanding six-point lead. Satwiksairaj and Chirag started outplaying their Chinese opponents, Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang. India reached a game point with the score reading 20-11. However, China managed to mount a brief comeback, securing four consecutive points. Despite this, India closed the first game with a 21-15 victory.
In the second game, Satwiksairaj and Chirag picked up from where they left off, establishing an early lead of 6-2 over the Chinese pair. Although Weikeng and Chang displayed determination in the second game, India maintained their lead, which was reduced to just one point at a certain point. Satwik contributed to India’s lead with a powerful smash aimed at Wang’s body, and Wang retaliated with an equally forceful smash. The camaraderie between Satwik and Chirag was evident as Chirag encouraged Satwik with the word “maar” (hit), which was followed by a powerful smash from Satwik.
At the midway stage of the second game, India held an 11-8 lead over China. Satwiksairaj and Chirag Shetty continued to capitalize on any mistakes made by the Chinese pair, extending their lead to five points. China made an effort to close the gap and reduced the deficit to just two points. In a pivotal moment, Satwik stood in the front court to receive Liang’s serve, and he directed the shuttle straight towards Wang, who struggled to control it and ended up hitting it wide of the court. China managed to secure the next point but Satwiksairaj and Chirag closed the second game and give India a 2-0 lead.
Srikanth stutters
Just when India felt they could drill that final nail in the coffin for China, with a hope that the former World Championships silver medallist will deliver that blow to the defending champions, Shifeng Li gave Srikanth a reality check. The Indian played superbly thoroughly to eventually hold game point, but fumbled in crunch moments to allow the local boy to bounce back from a two-point deficit into a game point for himself. He converted it successfully, winning the opening game 24-22.
Shifeng was quick and sharp at the nets early on in the second game as he took a three-point lead from 4-all, with Srikanth looking a tad sluggish in coping with the pace of his Chinese opponent. The former world No. 1 looked to stay in the game with some decent defensive work, but Shifeng comfortably soared to a four-point lead at the interval. The reigning All England Open winner continued his sublime work to win all of the next six points, taking a 17-7 lead before the Indian pulled one back at the end of a long rally. But Srikanth never capitalised on it. Shifeng remained utterly dominant to quickly gain the four points of the next five points and close the match with a 24-22, 21-9 win.
China turn the tables
With Prannoy out, Srikkanth’s match was of utmost importance for India. With the former world No. 1 doing down in straight games, China had their noses ahead. And it seemed perfectly similar in reality as well with the pair of Dhruv Kapila and Sai Pratheek Krishna Prasad being hammered in the second doubles tie of the event as Xuanyi Ou and Yuchen Liu won 21-6, 21-18.
There was perhaps a light of optimism in the second game after the Indian scratch pair made a confident start in taking an early 3-1 lead. They stayed toe-to-toe with the world no. 8 men’s doubles pair till 6-all before Xuanyi and Yuchen turned up the pressure thereafter to level the score for China in the gold-medal encounter.
In the deciding match, China’s Hongyang Weng made a light work of Mithun Manjunath, who replaced Prannoy in the line-up, as he beat the Indian 21-12, 21-1. The sheer dominance in the fifth and final match helped China retain their Asian Games crown in men’s team badminton while India got the silver.
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