Express News Service
CHENNAI: “No words to describe. Best achievement in Indian badminton history.” Best indeed, at least in men’s.
That was India coach U Vimal Kumar’s reaction after the men’s victory over heavyweights Indonesia in Bangkok. After years of toil, the men’s team wrapped their hands around the Thomas Cup for the first time ever on Sunday.
For a man who has seen the highs and lows of Indian badminton, this weighty assessment aptly describes the team’s surreal journey this time.
No superlatives would do justice to India’s magical tale. A tale that was waiting to unfurl. A tale of sweat and toil.
They were termed underdogs but the way Indians operated in the last few days, going on to overpower teams like Malaysia and Denmark along the way, is extraordinary.
On the decisive day, it was Lakshya Sen (first rubber), doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty (second rubber) and Kidambi Srikanth (third) who fought like warriors possessed, hypnotizing their opponents before paralysing them.
First on the court was Lakshya. India needed a winning start to reinforce belief. That’s what he did. Despite being outplayed in the first game, he did not give up.
He slipped, slid and crawled, in short, did everything to claw back into the match. India needed the win badly, a perfect start.
His mental toughness saw him through.
Chirag and Satwiksairaj delivered what was required of them, playing against Indonesia’s strongest suits.
At one stage, they seemed dead and buried and had four match points against them. Yet again, they made a Houdini-style escape.
When the winning point was secured, Chirag went shirtless, soaking in the winning moment, while Rankireddy was yelling as if there was no tomorrow. India had a 2-0 advantage and the edge.
Srikanth, who had an incredible run, went monk-like, vanquishing his younger Indonesian opponent Jonatan Christie. Like Vimal, even for Srikanth the winning feeling was yet to sink in.
“I think it will take a while before we realise what has happened. At the moment, I rate this as one of my biggest wins. Everyone played extremely well. Everyone stepped up when it really mattered,” Srikanth said.
Srikanth certainly stepped up during the event, acing all six matches that he featured in. His form was certainly one of the driving forces behind India’s historic run.
“I did well in the World Championships last year. I’m happy with the way I’m playing. This is definitely one of my best wins, in terms of tournament win and my performances.”
The manner in which Lakshya has evolved has added a different dimension to the team. Even though he lost his last two ties, it was Lakshya who set the tone on Sunday, laying the platform for the rest by outwitting a formidable rival in Anthony Ginting, the World No 5.
Having the likes of Srikanth and HS Prannoy, two experienced pros, aided Lakshya and the rest of the young players in the side.
“I didn’t really have to give long speeches. I was just letting them know that they’re doing well and that they’ll only get to play for one hour and they’ll have to play well in that time period. I’m happy that all the youngsters have stepped up and played well,” Srikanth said.
As was evident in the second rubber, the continuous rise of Satwiksairaj and Chirag has also massively bolstered the team and they had entered the event with loads of belief.
Prannoy’s direct selection, based on his form, also proved to be a masterstroke as he delivered when it mattered.
In the knockout events, Prannoy had won two key matches to push India to final.
“I have always performed under pressure and I’m really proud to be part of this team. Thanks to everyone who supported me. I feel I did enough to merit my selection,” Prannoy said.
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