India's Dream Busted: 0-3 Loss to Japan Closes Door on Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships Title Hopes

India's quest in the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships was in vain as they got thoroughly trashed 0-3 by a second-string Japanese side in the quarterfinals. Beginning the competition as 2023 bronze medalists, the Indian team failed to repeat history. The team was unable to start the tournament with an attack-oriented approach in the absence of star shuttler PV Sindhu, and the team lost all three matches, closing curtains early.

A Rocking Start in Doubles Mix

The first match to get underway was a quarterfinal mixed doubles tie. India's Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila had Japan's Natsu Saito and Hiroki Midorikawa in front of them. The Indian world number 37 pair Kapila and Crasto went down to world number 12 Japanese duo. Having won the second game and drawn out the match, Indian players could not sustain that momentum in the third as they lost 13-21, 21-17, 13-21. India were reeling as soon as possible after the loss put them at a deficit 0-1 in the tie. Malvika Bansod's Gritty Attempt Runs Out

With Sindhu out injured through a strain in her hamstring, Malvika Bansod was summoned to play the critical women's singles game. Up against Tomoka Miyazaki, the outstanding young Japanese shuttler who rose to world number 8 following her victory at the 2022 World Junior Championships, Malvika showed determination but was outmatched by the greater shot-making and precision of Miyazaki.

Miyazaki ruled the first game 11-3 early on.

Malvika found it difficult to bridge the gap, with unforced errors and accurate cross-court smashes from Miyazaki making it 21-12 in the first game in favor of Japan. The second game was more competitive, Malvika leading early at 5-3 and a close 11-10 mid-game. She battled hard, even leading 17-15 at one point. However, Miyazaki’s ability to handle pressure proved decisive, as she stormed back to win 21-19, extending Japan’s lead to 2-0 and leaving India in a must-win situation in the men's singles match. HS Prannoy’s Gritty Battle Ends in Heartbreak

The onus of keeping India's hopes alive rested on seasoned shuttler HS Prannoy. Back from a long layoff due to injury, Prannoy was up against Japan's world number 16, Kenta Nishimoto. The fight was one that lasted for 1 hour and 17 minutes but one in which Prannoy was unable to keep India in the title.

Nishimoto was on the attack in his strategy, taking the lead by going 7-4 ahead with angled returns.

Prannoy struggled hard to get back at 8-8 but unforced errors allowed the Japanese shuttler to counter and take the first game 21-14. Prannoy was determined to change the script and guided his fresh efforts with a fresh zest of spirit in the second game. His pummelling smashes and harassing net play allowed him to lead 10-9 at halftime. Even as there had been a rushed comeback in which Nishimoto was in the lead, Prannoy displayed his experience and resilience to stage a recovery and win 21-15 and take the match into a decider. The momentum, however, soon favored Nishimoto in the decider.

He ripped into a dominant 6-0 lead, capitalizing on Prannoy's mistakes and fatigue. A disputed line call at 2-8 upset the Indian shuttler more, and during the interval, Nishimoto had taken a 11-3 lead. Prannoy tried a comeback in the later stages in vain, bringing the deficit down to 12-15, but his errors at the right time cost him dear. Nishimoto kept calm and shut the door on the match 21-12 to advance Japan to the semifinals and bring an end to India's campaign. India's Disappointing Loss and Japan's Depth What made this loss so disappointing to India was the fact that Japan was not playing their best team. Despite losing some of their greatest stars, Japan showed the depth of their team and the class of their next generation players. They proved to be superior to India by grabbing the critical moments and showing incredible consistency.

India will have much to think about after this loss, though.

PV Sindhu's absence was certainly a big loss, but even without her, there were chances to put pressure on Japan.

Malvika Bansod did show some promise but needs to become consistent on the international circuit. Prannoy also, being an old campaigner, will have to deliver after his long break. Kapila and Crasto's doubles combination also showed glimpses of excellence, but not being able to keep putting pressure on the top-ranking teams at all times is what needs to be improved. Peeking Ahead: Indian Badminton Lessons Although this premature withdrawal is disappointing, the Indian badminton squad will regroup and perform better in future tournaments. The Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships gave young players such as Malvika some match practice, and as she gains experience, she can emerge as a fine singles player.

As far as team performance overall is concerned, the loss is a reflection that Indian badminton needs to get its act together in building a good second-string team, something Japan achieved. Now, focus needs to be placed on building the depth of teams, strategies honed, and having players at their best when the major games are at hand.

With the Paris Games looming on the horizon, India will learn from this loss and turn the focus towards coming international championships. A more effective team must be built in the hope of beating the world-class teams, and this loss must help them do better for themselves in the coming months.