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Rising mixed doubles combination of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto showcased their prowess with a come-from-behind win to give the team a strong start, but India could not avoid a 1-4 loss against Indonesia in their second Group D match in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Sudirman Cup Finals 2025 in Xiamen, China on Tuesday.
Having lost the opening tie against Denmark, India needed to beat Indonesia to stay in the hunt for the knockout berth. Consequently, Dhruv and Tanisha gave the team the perfect start after an initial hiccup, as per a press release from the Badminton Association of India (BAI). The world no 17 combination struggled to find their rhythm in the opening game against the experienced Rehan Kusharjanto and Gloria Widjaja, but they seized their chances in the second to force a decider. In the third and final game, Dhruv and Tanisha came back twice, including from 16-19 to clinch five straight points and win the rubber 10-21, 21-18, 21-19. PV Sindhu then had the chance to extend India's lead in the women's singles, but despite her efforts, she couldn't find her groove and went down 12-21, 13-21 to World No. 11 Putri Wardani. In the men's singles, HS Prannoy reignited Indian hopes by taking the first game against Jonatan Christie with a spirited start. But, momentum slipped away from the Indian shuttler as he eventually lost 21-19, 14-21, 12-21 in a closely contested battle. With India missing both their top women's and men's doubles combinations, they had an uphill task from there on to find a win. While the young pairings of Shruti Mishra/Priya Konjengbam and Hariharan Amsakarunan/Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi fought hard, they could not avoid reverses at the hands of their opponents. India will face England, who have also lost their two ties, in their last group game on Thursday. Results: India lost to Indonesia 1-4 (Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto beat Rehan Kusharjanto/Gloria Widjaja 10-21, 21-18, 21-19; PV Sindhu lost to Putri Wardani 12-21, 13-21; HS Prannoy lost to Jonatan Christie 21-19, 14-21, 12-21; Priya Konjengbam/Shruti Mishra lost to Lanny Mayasari/Siti Ramadhanti 10-21, 9-21; Hariharan Amsakarunan/R Ruban Kumar lost to Muhammad Fikri/Daniel Martin 20-22, 18-21. (ANI)
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