What if HS Prannoy had been match to play?

What if Kidambi Srikanth had gained one of many sport factors in his first sport?

What if Dhruv Kapila was taking part in along with his common accomplice Arjun MR, who was out injured?

What ifs are a ineffective pursuit, however the Indian males’s badminton crew will definitely rue them tonight. Because on the opposite facet of those what ifs, inside touching distance was a historic gold medal. Beating China in badminton. Beating China in China.

The defending champions have 43 badminton gold medals – probably the most in Asian Games historical past. And India have been one match away from successful their first-ever badminton gold.

But it was to not be because the hosts fought again from 0-2 right down to win one of the best of 5 males’s crew closing 3-2.

Lakshya Sen and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty’s beautiful wins weren’t sufficient as Srikanth went down within the third rubber to set off a collapse.

How China snatched victory from the jaws of defeat

Playing a full-strength China at residence in badminton was all the time going to be an enormous problem. But it was one India was prepared for — they’re the reigning males’s world champions in any case.

India No 1 Prannoy was sitting out as a result of a again harm, however even with out the world No 7 India had sufficient high quality to win. Against Lakshya Sen, who strode in first, was Shi Yuqi – world No 6, former All England champion, the person who was seen as the subsequent Lin Dan.

World No 14 Lakshya had by no means performed him earlier than, however as he has proven so typically, reputations matter little to the 22-year-old. He performed a breath-taking match, getting back from 9-14 down in decider to win 22-20, 14-21, 21-19.

The first blow was struck and up subsequent have been the reigning Asian champions in Satwik and Chirag. The Indian world No 3 vs Chinese world No 2, Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang. Head-to-head – trailing 1-2.

But Sat-Chi did Sat-Chi issues – pumped up by the primary win, they virtually dominated the match 21-15, 21-18. It wasn’t a hard-fought win, however Chirag was celebrating along with his T-shirt off and their trademark dance – a message contemplating the venue.

Then got here Kidambi Srikanth – the previous world No 1, the 2021 World Championship finalist, 2022 Thomas Cup champion, probably the most skilled Indian in males’s singles. Up towards him was world No 8 Li Shi Feng, the 23-year-old All England champion.

This was the match. If India needed to win the gold medal, it needed to be executed 3-0. The subsequent two matches would have the inexperienced, second rung Indian gamers.

Srikanth knew his job and began it effectively. But it was a nervy match, far more restrained that the primary two: 8-8, 9-9, 10-10. But slowly, Srikanth got here into himself; a 11-10 lead in interval, small fist pumps, aggressive play, optimistic physique language. He took a 18-14 lead. Li pulled again for 19-19 however the Indian gained two sport factors with terrific factors – change of tempo, digging in, good play.

And then the nerves struck, he squandered two sport factors and Li transformed his first in further time.

That was the cog that derailed the entire carriage. The subsequent sport, he began effectively however slumped from 7-11 to 7-17 and shortly gave up 12 match factors. It was an outdated Srikanth sample and it reared its head on the worst doable time.

Up subsequent have been the scratch doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Sai Pratheek (changing Dhruv’s common accomplice Arjun) The world No 8 doubles pair of Liu Yu Chen and Ou Xuan Yi brushed them apart 21-6, 21-15.

The decider got here on nationwide champion Mithun Manjunath, taking up world No 20 Wang Hongyang – participant ranked 33 locations above it. It was a baptism by fireplace as he went down 21-12, 21-4… The closing sport was probably the most one-sided if your entire contest.

China had defended their gold and India have been left to rue the What Ifs… But they do not have an excessive amount of time to try this: the person occasions start tomorrow. There continues to be an opportunity for India to finish its gold medal drought on the Asian Games.

Incidentally, it’s Srikanth who will play within the particular person occasion, after he beat the upper ranked Lakshya on the trials. If he and the remainder can use this defeat as fireplace to their gas, the badminton occasions might get very fascinating.