India crash out with 0-3 loss to second-string Japan in Asia Mixed Team Championship

HS Prannoy fought valiantly, but India succumbed to a 0-3 defeat against a second-string Japan in the quarterfinals of the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships, ending their campaign on a disappointing note here on Friday. India, the 2023 bronze medalists in Dubai, struggled to find their rhythm, and trailed 0-1 after going down in the mixed doubles. Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, ranked 37th in the world, showed resilience before going down 13-21, 21-17, 13-21 to world number 12 Hiroki Midorikawa and Natsu Saito. With PV Sindhu sidelined due to a hamstring injury, India faced an uphill task against Tomoka Miyazaki, who has quickly risen to world number 8 following her triumph at the 2022 World Junior Championships.

World number 31 Malvika Bansod, stepping in for Sindhu, put up a brave fight, especially in the second game, but struggled to match the control and consistency of her younger opponent and lost 12-21, 19-21, leaving India 0-2 behind. It all came down to Prannoy to keep India alive, but despite a determined effort, the 32-year-old, returning after a long break and struggling with early-season form, couldn't sustain the pressure against world number 16 Kenta Nishimoto. The Japanese star sealed the rubber with a 21-14, 15-21, 21-12 victory in 1 hour and 17 minutes. India will be disappointed with the loss, especially as Japan did not field their full-strength team, with several top players absent. Japan were the inaugural edition champions in 2017 and were runners-up in 2019.

Miyazaki vs Malvika =============== Miyazaki, leading the new-look Japanese team, was sharp and precise, quickly surging to an 11-3 lead after Malvika hit long. Despite some good net play from the left-handed Indian, Miyazaki’s cross-court drops and winners kept Malvika on the back foot. Malvika narrowed the gap to 12-19, capitalising on unforced errors from Miyazaki. However, two mistakes from the Indian allowed the Japanese to take the first game. The second game was more competitive as Malvika took a 5-3 lead, engaging in tight rallies.

She managed a slim 11-10 advantage after Miyazaki went long. Malvika stayed sharp, not allowing her opponent to play her usual drops freely, moving to 17-15. But Miyazaki fought back, taking the lead at 18-17 after Malvika went wide. Miyazaki earned two game points, and despite Malvika saving one, a miscue handed the game to the Japanese, leaving India 0-2 down in the tie.

Prannoy vs Nishimoto ================ In the men’s singles, Prannoy fell behind 4-7 as Nishimoto dominated with angled returns. The Indian clawed back to 8-8 after Nishimoto made a few errors, but two unforced mistakes gave the Japanese a three-point cushion at the break. Prannoy kept up the pressure, reducing the gap to 12-13 with a couple of jump smashes. However, there was little net play, and Nishimoto surged ahead 17-12, winning four straight points.

Prannoy handed Nishimoto six game points with a net error, and another mistake sealed the first game for Japan. The second game was intense, with Prannoy and Nishimoto tied at 6-6. Two powerful cross-court smashes from Prannoy leveled the score at 7-7, followed by a huge roar and a fist pump. However, a subsequent smash led to a warning from the umpire, asking Prannoy not to celebrate in such a manner. Prannoy moved to 10-9 after a brilliant net block, and took a one-point lead into the break. A cross-court return left Prannoy flat on the floor, and Nishimoto moved to 14-12.

However, the Indian erased the deficit to lead 16-15 after winning a lengthy rally. He then earned five game points after Nishimoto sent a shot wide, converting the first to roar back into the contest. In the decider, Nishimoto controlled the pace to take a 6-0 early lead. At 2-8, a shot was called out by the umpire, much to Prannoy's frustration as the Japanese grabbed a huge 11-3 lead at the interval. The Indian fought back, drawing out errors from Nishimoto to move to 12-15 but unforced errors crept up again as a cross court forehand went to net and another net error followed. Soon he found himself facing an eight-point deficit. Nishimoto sealed the match after Prannoy went wide again, securing the victory for Japan. PTI