Thomas Cup 2022: India completes upset win to cop first title
India just did the unthinkable. They won their first international team trophy by triumphing over Indonesia in the final of the BWF Thomas Cup Finals 2022.
Spectators at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand witnessed history happen on May 15. The Indians only needed three matches to outpace the 14-time Thomas Cup champions, which also ups the surprise factor.
Lakshya Sen defeated Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, 8-21, 21-17, 21-16
Ginting was in control of the first game, as he built a 20-7 headway from a 12-point run. The second game was a different story as Sen never relinquished the lead after a 3-2 start.
A five-point romp in the middle of the third game gave the ninth-ranked shuttler the upper hand, 13-12. From there, the best the West Java native can do is tie the count at the next point.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated Mohammad Ahsan and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo, 18-21, 23-21, 21-19
The first doubles turned out to be the most tightly contested in the three matches that were played. The greatest number of successive points either side could string together was five, courtesy of team Indonesia.
Ahsan and Sukamuljo initially had a six-point margin in the first game before Rankireddy and Shetty chipped away at the difference, 18-19. From there, the Indonesians scored the last two points to take first blood.
The second game was all about momentum as the Indians had the initial advantage, 12-7. Indonesia then countered with a 12-2 run and was just two points away from victory.
However, the southeast Asian pair could not close it out. They were already at match point, 21-20, when team India overtook them.
Srikanth Kidambi defeated Jonatan Christie, 21-15, 23-21
Christie put a gallant stand to extend the contest but fell short. He went scoreless in the last six points of the first game.
Kidambi then grabbed the last two points in the second game to put an end to the tournament.
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JP is an all-around sportswriter who covered the Bingo Bonanza Philippine Gold Grand Prix 2009. Aside from BWF badminton he follows football, basketball, and pro wrestling.
