New Delhi: India narrowly defeated China 2-3 in the final Group A match of the Thomas Cup final on Wednesday, crashing out of the league with a loss despite having booked a quarter-final spot.The 2022 champions found themselves under pressure shortly after the game Laksha Sen and star tag team Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty Both teams lost, with the Chinese team leading 2-0.Lakshya, who has performed well in recent games, lost to Li Shifeng 19-21, 21-8, 12-21 in the first singles match.The doubles team of Satvik and Chirag fought hard and saved five match points, but ultimately lost to Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang 13-21, 21-13, 24-26.Ayush, Pranoy lead fighting comebackTowards the end of the game, youngster Ayush Shetty stepped up gracefully. After losing the first game, he rebounded strongly and defeated Weng Hongyang 17-21, 21-13, 21-15.“I’m really enjoying it… this is my first time playing in the Thomas Cup. Our target was to win… It’s nice to get a point for the team,” Ayush said, expressing confidence in India’s title chances.However, the Indian team’s hopes were hit in the second doubles. Hariharan Amsakarunan/Arjun lost to He Jiting/Ren Xiangyu 17-21, 13-21, and the Chinese team secured the victory 3-1.In the final, the Prannoy team played tenaciously, catching up after falling behind by one set, and defeated Lu Guangzu 20-22, 21-19, 21-11, narrowing the gap.“The atmosphere is really high… we believe we can go all the way,” he said, underscoring the team’s confidence ahead of the knockout rounds.Focus turns to quarter-finalsDespite the loss, India finished second in Group A and advanced to the quarter-finals, where they are likely to face 2014 champions Japan.While the defeat exposed areas for improvement, India’s fighting spirit displayed by Ayush and Pranoy offers hope that they will be ready for the final stages of the tournament.
