PV Sindhu makes winning returning as India stun China 3-2 in BATC women’s competition

PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medalist, marked a triumphant comeback after a prolonged injury hiatus as India caused a major upset by defeating the formidable Chinese team 3-2 in the women's category of the Badminton Asia Team Championships held on Wednesday.

Despite having only two teams in Group W, India had already secured a spot in the knockout round before their initial match. However, they made a significant statement with their surprising victory over the top-seeded Chinese squad.

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Sindhu, who had been sidelined since October last year due to a knee injury sustained at the French Open, led the charge by defeating the higher-ranked Han Yue with a score of 21-17, 21-15 in 40 minutes, giving India a 1-0 lead in the tie.

Currently ranked 11th, the 28-year-old Sindhu, who clinched silver at the 2016 Olympics followed by a bronze at the Tokyo Games, faced off against the world number eight Yue.

Following Sindhu's win, the duo of Tanisha Castro and Ashwini Ponappa suffered a setback by losing to Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning with scores of 19-21, 16-21. This was followed by Ashmita Chaliha's defeat against the world number nine Wang Zhi Yi, leaving India trailing 1-2 after three matches.

However, India managed to level the score when Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand secured a hard-fought victory against the Chinese pair of Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min with scores of 10-21, 21-18, 21-17 in one hour and nine minutes in the women's doubles.

In the decisive match, Anmol Kharb, ranked 472nd globally, delivered an impressive performance by defeating the world number 149 Wu Luo Yu with scores of 22-20, 14-21, 21-18 in a gruelling one hour and 17 minutes, sealing a memorable win for India.

The Indian men's team, known for their previous achievements including lifting the Thomas Cup in 2022 and securing a historic silver medal at the last Asian Games, will face Hong Kong in a Group A league match on Wednesday.