Kamal Ghorui
PV Sindhu let a strong position slip as India crashed out of the Uber Cup with a 0-5 loss to China, who once again showed why they are the most dominant team with a record 16 titles in the tournament’s history.India came into the tie under pressure after losing to Denmark earlier, though they had bounced back with a win over Ukraine. Against a powerful Chinese side, however, they needed everything to go right, and that didn’t happen. Sindhu, leading the team, gave India early hope with a spirited performance against world No. 2 Wang Zhiyi. She fought back after losing the first game and looked set for a big win in the decider, racing to an 18-12 lead. But in a dramatic collapse, she lost six straight points and eventually went down 16-21, 21-19, 19-21.That defeat set the tone for the rest of the tie. India’s doubles pair of Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra struggled against the top-ranked Chinese duo and lost comfortably. Isharani Baruah then had a chance to keep India alive and showed promise against Chen Yufei, but crucial mistakes, including a missed game point, cost her dearly as she lost in straight games, giving China an unassailable 3-0 lead.Even after the tie was decided, India’s players continued to fight. Treesa Jolly and Kavipriya Selvam stretched their doubles match to three games but fell short in the end. Devika Sihag also started strongly in her singles match but couldn’t maintain the momentum and lost after three games.While the scoreline looks one-sided, India did have opportunities but failed to grab them at key moments. The loss once again highlighted the gap between India and a well-drilled Chinese side.Attention will now shift to the Thomas Cup, where India’s men’s team has already reached the quarterfinals and will next face China in a crucial clash.
