Four years ago in Gold Coast, Indian shuttlers were jumping in ecstasy, having upstaged holders Malaysia to clinch the mixed team gold for the first time ever.
On Tuesday evening, the roles were reversed as Malaysia dethroned India to become champions of the mixed team competition as the PV Sindhu-led team had to be content with silver.
This was India’s first medal from badminton at the 2022 Commonwealth Games after losing the final 1-3 to Malaysia—the same margin by which they had won in Gold Coast 2018—at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. Singapore beat hosts England 3-0 to claim the bronze medal.
Hopes were high from India, especially after their Thomas Cup triumph in May, to bring the whiff of air from Bangkok to Birmingham but the Indian team failed to deliver at the most important stage.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty started the men’s doubles contest but were given a tough fight from Soh Wooi Yik and Aaron Chia, who won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics last year. It was neck-and-neck in a high-octane, high-speed clash as the world No 7 Indian pair zoomed 18-15 ahead after winning four straight points.
But the Malaysians bounced back to win the next six points to gain the advantage in the contest. Yik and Chia turned their defence into offence to eke ahead in the second game and closed the contest 21-18, 21-15 in 48 minutes to give Malaysia a 1-0 lead. This was the world No 6 Malaysian pair’s fifth win—including the second of 2022—against Rankireddy and Shetty in as many meetings.
It came down to former world champion Sindhu to turn things around for India in the women’s singles contest. Going into the match with a 2-0 head-to-head record against world No 60 Goh Jin Wei.
Sindhu draws level
Sindhu gave India a phenomenal start, dominating play from the outset. Goh found winning even a single point tough until Sindhu gave away points from errors. The world No 7 still maintained a healthy lead throughout the first game until 18-12 when Goh suddenly found spring in her step to win the next seven points and go into lead for the first time in the match. All of a sudden Goh started believing she could pull it off. Goh saved a game point but Sindhu closed it on her second.
Though the Malaysian showed an incredible surge of pace and aggression in the second game, Sindhu had the tools in her kit to counter Goh and win the contest 22-20, 21-17 in 44 minutes to level the tie at 1-1.
When Kidambi Srikanth came in for his men’s singles, the Indian women’s cricket team as well as the table tennis team—which won gold earlier in the day—walked in to lend support to the shuttlers. But that support did not come in handy as the former world No 1 was upset 19-21, 21-6, 16-21 by world No 42 Ng Tze Yong in what was the Malaysian’s first win over the world No 13 Indian in three meetings.
P Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly had huge pressure on their young shoulders stepping onto the court 1-2 down for the women’s doubles. But the world No 11 combine of Thinaah Muralitharan and Pearly Tan used their experience to beat the Indian pair 21-18, 21-17 to help Malaysia reclaim the mixed team title. This was Muralitharan and Tan’s second win in as many meetings over the world No 38 pairing.