India suffers defeat to Indonesia in Thomas Cup group stage despite securing quarterfinal

India's defending champions faced a formidable challenge from 14-time winners Indonesia in the final Group C encounter of the Thomas Cup 2024, as the badminton powerhouse suffered a humbling defeat before progressing to the quarterfinals.

Despite earlier victories over England (5-0) and Thailand (4-1), India couldn't maintain their winning streak against Indonesia on Wednesday, May 1, in Chengdu, China. The defeat left India in second place behind Indonesia in Group C, although both teams secured quarterfinal berths.

The tie began on a promising note for India as HS Prannoy, bound for the Paris Olympics, clinched a hard-fought victory against World No. 7 Anthony Sinisuka Ginting. Prannoy's resilience shone through in a thrilling 61-minute encounter, where he secured a comeback win with scores of 13-21, 21-12, 21-12.

However, India's momentum waned as Satwiksairaj Rankiredy and Chirag Shetty faltered against Muhammad Fikri and Maulana Bagas in a tense three-game thriller lasting 77 minutes. Despite a valiant effort, the Indian duo succumbed to a defeat with scores of 24-22, 22-24, 21-17.

The setback continued as Lakshya Sen lost to Jonathan Christie in another grueling three-game match, despite a spirited comeback attempt. The World No. 3 emerged victorious with scores of 21-18, 16-21, 21-17, pushing India further back in the tie.

In the second doubles rubber, India's hopes dwindled further as Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin outplayed Dhruv Kapila and Sai Pratheek, sealing a comprehensive victory with scores of 22-20, 21-11.

The disappointment concluded for India with Kidambi Srikanth's loss to Chico Dwi Wardoyo in the final singles rubber, as Indonesia clinched a 3-1 victory in the five-match tie.

Despite the defeat, India secured their spot in the quarterfinals, finishing second in Group C with two wins in three ties. Indonesia claimed the top spot with a perfect record of three wins.

Meanwhile, in the Uber Cup, India's women's team secured a quarterfinal berth despite a loss to China in Group A. Led by PV Sindhu's absence, India defeated Canada and Singapore to advance to the knockout stage.