 |
| Chirag Shetty (AP) and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (right) of India |
Let us give Satwik-Chirag some leeway even if they ought to have won.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will attest to the fact that there have been many slips between the lip and the cup. On Sunday, when the doubles team was leading the Malaysia Open final deciding 10-3, it seemed impossible that anything could go wrong.
Without a doubt, they were defeated tactically by Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who demonstrated that they were the best pair in the world and had the mental advantage of having defeated the Indian pair more often than not; prior to Sunday's match, they had defeated the Indians three times and had only lost once. Therefore, it can be said that the Indians were defeated both tactically and mentally.
Expectations were high for Satwik and Chirag, though, as they are currently ranked second in the world and have accomplished incredible things in recent years. They won the men's doubles event at the Asian Championships in Dubai last year, which was a first for India, which had only won a bronze medal in doubles more than 50 years prior.
For the first time in the competition's history, the men's Indian team competed in the final and easily defeated a highly-fancied opponent in Indonesia. Satwik and Chirag fulfilled their roles admirably in the decisive match, coming back from four match points down to give their nation a 2-0 lead. The previous year, they were a part of the Thomas Cup-winning team in Bangkok, Thailand.
They became the first Indian pair to be ranked #1 in the world after winning their first gold medal in badminton at the Asian Games in October 2023.
They have also achieved other firsts!
Fans can not blame them for expecting the Chinese pair to win in Malaysia given their recent successes. The only time the Indians have defeated the Chinese pair was in the 2023 Korea Open semi-final, where they prevailed 21-15 24-22. The last time the Indians faced the Chinese pair was in the China Masters final in November of last year, where they lost a three-game thriller.The Chinese had previously triumphed in exciting encounters at the 2023 All England Open (Round of 16) and in the previous Malaysia Open (semis). All three defeats had been razor-thin margins of victory, which is why many believed the Indians had a chance going into the 2024 Malaysia Open final and that they were eager to exact revenge on their opponents.
However, the Chinese team was well-prepared and unfazed by the Indians' commanding 21-9 first-game victory. In other words, they had begun the match much like they had in Korea, where they ought to have put the game away but a number of careless mistakes by the Indians allowed the Chinese team to tie the score at 9 and, to be honest, the way the Indians won the opening game was their match to lose.The Chinese played it cool and bided their time, and a series of careless mistakes by the Indians, especially at critical moments, somehow reversed the tide of the match in their favor. They should be commended for maintaining their patience and remaining true to their game plan.
The manner they gave up in the finale after leading 10-3 especially wounded hearts. Indian fans are understandably frustrated. The Malaysia Open final was a perfect opportunity for them to put things right, and they did come close. It is just that they could not offer the finishing touch.
However, it is not the end of the world because they are both still young and still learning. They would have learned a lot, especially from this loss, that it is never over until it is over and that sometimes a setback like this paves the way for many more victories. Fortunately for them both, there will not be much time to dwell on their losses because the India Open begins tomorrow at New Delhi's KD Jadhav Indoor Hall.Winning the India Open is crucial for them right now—they lost in Malaysia by the narrowest of margins, so it is imperative that they triumph there. They have done it before in 2022, so there is no reason they can not do it again two years later.