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When the chips were down, India's dazzling duo of Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand stepped up to lead India from a precarious 0-2 to a thrilling 3-2 win over Hong Kong to confirm India's first-ever medal in the history of Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships on Friday. India eked out an incredible comeback from the jaws of getting knocked out as they downed Hong Kong riding on sensational efforts from Dhruv Kapila-Chirag Shetty, PV Sindhu, and Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand who won their respective games.
When India were teetering at 0-2, the Indians displayed a great fightback as the doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Chirag Shetty and PV Sindhu levelled the scores after reverses in the first two matches.
Hong Kong started the tie with a win in the mixed doubles as Lee C.H.R/NG T.Y. defeated Tanisha Crasto/Ishan Bhatnagar by 26-22. 21-17 and took the lead1-0. The second game between Ng Ka Long Angus and Lakshya Sen was supposed to be a thriller and that is how it turned out. Lakshya started the proceedings with a 22-20 win in the first game. Angus came back hard in the second game and despite resistance from Lakshya won the game 21-19. The deciding game was a roller coaster ride as both shuttlers kept pushing each other. It was a mistake from Lakshya which gave Angus the win and Hong Kong a lead of 2-0.
The men's doubles pair of Kapila and Shetty pulled one back for India with a hard-fought 20-22, 21-16 21-11 win over Tang Chun Man and Yeung Shing Choi.
In the women's singles match, two-time Olympic medallist Sindhu had to dig deep to get the better of Saloni Samirbhai Mehta 16-21, 21-7, 21-9 and level the scores at 2-2. Sindhu was stunned by Mehta as she lost the first game 16-21. Although the resistance from the opponent didn't last long as Sindhu dominated the next games to win the match 16-21, 21-7, 21-9.
With the tie standing at 2-2, it was the pair of Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand to drive the Indian team to the semi-finals. In the decider, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand defeated Tsz Yau NG and Wing Yung NG 21-13, 21-12 in the women's doubles to clinch the tie and secure India a historic medal chance.
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