Badminton Asia Team C’ships Final, India vs Thailand Highlights: Anmol Kharb stars again, wins for Sindhu, Treesa-Gayatri as India clinch title

The winners: (Photo via BAI) 

Update from Shivani Naik: It's cool for Sindhu to win a team trophy too before she wraps up her career. India is defending the Thomas Cup, and the Uber Cup will be far tougher. But it's a team that will be rooted for bigly after this one

Update from Shivani Naik: Indian women's badminton has always thrived on high ambition, settling for nothing less than the title or gold. Both Saina and Sindhu stepped onto the international stage, ready to battle and beat the higher ranked rivals. Anmol Kharb has the same high standards. It's never about being content with mid-table finishes. Long way to go for Anmol, but maybe, just maybe, there's a fighter out there after Sindhu ten years ago. The former World Champ ofcourse did her bit, swatted aside old nemesis Supanida Katethong. Gayatri - Treesa have been immense. And Anmol is just plain glee for Indian fans. She even stole a smile before serving for the match right there on the court. 

A good time to read this week's column by Shivani Naik:

Badminton: As Anmol Kharb shoots into limelight, meet her coach who once lost to Saina Nehwal and has many a story to tell

ANMOL KHARB HAS DONE IT! India have done it. Yet another 3-2 win and they are Asian Team Champions. What a tournament for 17 year old Anmol, who has been an absolute revelation. She is mobbed by her teammates soon after the win, a big high-five with Coach Gopi.

Match points galore for Anmol

Smash, smash... error from the opponent. Anmol is relentless. 19-7! Two points away from a famous win. 

Not for the first time, Pornpicha pushes at a shuttle that is surely going wide. But no judgement error from Anmol and she takes the point, 17-6. 

Punch. Lift. Move. And eventually, draw the error. Another well-worked point by Anmol. Up 15-6. A brief break in play as Anmol gets her shoe right. Comes back and wins the next point too, 16-6. 

Now the scoreboard pressure too is doing its work for Anmol. A 14-6 lead for the Indian as Pornpicha nets a simple forehand block. 

Update from Shivani Naik: She is so calm and reassuring. And kinda brilliant, this Anmol. Points come from casual nibbles and pushes and pokes to midcourt. It's like a cricket spinner's flight - she disarms the shuttle and leaves Choeikeewong no pace to work with

To her massive credit, Anmol is actually making this look a little bit straightforward! A 11-5 lead for her as we head into the interval for coaching advice. 

The Indian bench shouting "out out out" as Pornpicha challenges a line call. And it is out. 10-5 Anmol. 

As Pornpicha was closing in, a run of three points for Anmol to make it 9-5. One of those points was a clever push to the Thai's forehand side backcourt. 

A 4-2 lead at the start of the second game for Anmol as she moves to the far side. Against Natsuki yesterday, she looked much more comfortable from this side, with more punch to her strokes. India would love for it to be the same. 

Opening game, Anmol! The Indian takes the lead after a run of four straight points. She is pumped, the Indian bench is pumped. One game away.

There is another brutal rally that goes Pornpicha's way. Both players moving each other, Anmol had chances to kill this point but great defence from the Thai and finally Anmol drives the shuttle long. Anmol wins the next point with a fine crosscourt at the net. 18-14.

Anmol has mostly controlled the longer rallies but there is Pornpicha showing she can do it too. Closes the gap to 13-16. "Aaram se aaram se" from the Indian bench. 

Update from Shivani Naik: It's Anmol's patience vs Choeikeewong's power in this one. The young Indian can draw out errors and out-rally the Thai, but she has few answers to the ferocious down strokes

As coach Gopichand said, Anmol is "naturally clever on the court" and this is a nice example. A lovely crosscourt to draw Pornpicha forward, already backtracks expecting the return and then nails a straight smash into open court. Another point soon where she has Pornpicha scampering. 14-11 for the Indian.

It's a fabulous rally at 10-10 to see who has the edge at the interval and Anmol lets out a roar after a good inside out smash winner. 

The players are trading punches now. A fine 1-2 combo from Anmol at the net, then a good smash by Pornpicha. 7-7. Both pumping themselves up after every point they win. 

Pornpicha was putting together a fine run of points from 0-2 to 6-3. Then comes the best rally of the match so far where a patient Anmol prevails. The Indian closes it to 5-6 now after a Pornpicha error. 

Anmol walked onto the court with a wide smile, clearly enjoying the occasion. Here's what Gopichand has to say about her: 

"

Oh, she was fantastic. I was hoping someone would lose, so we could watch her play a toughie against China. She’s just a breath of fresh air, so innocent and fearless and naturally clever on the court. She would just turn around and ask which serve to use next – high toss or straight. Then she would start the rally and it was so good how she played freely to the corners. She has a natural reading of the game which refreshingly surprised me. The shuttle was flying, A/C was on, drift was present, and she’s confidently pushing the shuttle back. Happily taking instructions. If she got a line call right, she would be so happy with herself. A livewire talent.

For the third time in this tournament, Anmol Kharb steps on to the court with the tie level at 2-2.  She takes on Pornpicha Choeikeewong, the world No 45. Can the Indian teenager pull off another upset? 

Hero style, hates to lose: Meet Anmol Kharb, 17-year-old who powered India to a famous win over Japan at BATC 2024

Fairly straightforward in the end as expected for the Aimsaard sisters. And Thailand have come back from 0-2 to 2-2, to set up a deciding third singles tie! Buckle up, folks. 

After a phase of engaging in good rallies, 11 match points for the Aimsaards

Actually one of the better rallies all around in this match, the Indians patiently engaging with the Aimsaards but the point goes to the Thai duo who take a 11-6 lead into the interval. 

Oh, a nasty fall for Shruti there as she fell on her right ankle. But seems OK to continue. The Indians close the gap to 5-8 but the Aimsaard sisters still very much in control. 

Kusumm Singh loved her brief time playing the senior and junior Nationals so much that she culled out snippety stories of merely facing the big names in Indian badminton, from her memory. She would narrate her tryst with her illustrious juniors Saina Nehwal and Ashwini Ponnappa, who went much further in the game than she did.

In each tale, told with relish to her badminton trainees, she would caricature herself as the bumbling, clueless opponent, swatted aside in an early round by the grand heroines. In every story, she would lurk courtside, observe their stroke-play once a year at the winter nationals, walk with a bounce when they won titles on TV, and keep falling in love with the sport replaying the few snatches of her match, and how it felt to be in the presence of a shuttle superstar.

The Aimsaard sisters have found their rhythm and are running away with this now. Targetting the flanks with great effect. 9 game points in no time, on a run of 7 straight points, the Thai dup take the lead 21-11. Double-quick time for a WD match. 

To their credit the Indians are continuing to fight here. Make it 11-14. 

Little bit of separation starting to happen, perhaps understandably so after the Aimsaard sisters got some time to read the Indians, who are an unknown entity mostly. A 11-8 lead for Thailand duo. 

Confident start from the Indian youngsters, matching the Thai sisters early exchanges. 5-5 after the first 1- points. Shruti had a big smile as she hit a lovely round-the-head winner. 

WD2: Priya Konjengbam-Shruti Mishra vs Benyapa Aimsaard-Nuntakarn Aimsaard. The Indian duo recently won the National Championships title in Guwahati beating Simran Singhi and Ritika Thaker in the final. Their place today is a reward for that win. They face a tough, tough challenge against the Aimsaard sisters, ranked 13 in the world. 

Here's how Game 2 unfolded. 

It looked like Ashmita had a chance to stretch this at 14-all in the second game but Busanan, aided by a string of errors from the Indian, closes the match out with 7 straight points. Not to be for Ashmita today, and Thailand are well and truly back in the tie, being clear favourites for WD2.

A good rally but eventually, Ashmita is floored by a crosscourt slice by Busanan. 6 match points for the Thai shuttler. 

Ashmita's shot-making has fallen off a cliff here unfortunately. 19-14 Busanan. 

Oh dear, two service return errors from Ashmita and Busanan has moved ahead 17-14. 

Two big smashes followed by a tight spinning net shot that takes the cord, Ashmita makes it 14-14. Playing well but unable to string together a run, the Indian as Busanan sneaks back ahead. 

Good judgement from Ashmita at the backline, level at 13-13. Oh, next point, not so. She lets the shuttle drop in. 

Was all level at 10-10 and then Ashmita with the error to give Busnan a 1-point lead at the interval. A super smash down the line from the Indian post interval makes it 12-12.

Bit more intensity from Ashmita as she makes it 8-8 after a good run for Busanan. The bench trying to egg the Indian on, but she too is pumping herself up here. Back into the lead at 9-8 with a good body smash 

Oh nearly a splendid recovery from Ashmita to rush back and send a forehand deep, but she then misses a simpler shot at the net. Busanan makes it 3-5. 

The first lead of the match for Ashmita, as she inches ahead 2-1 at the start of Game 2. Make it 3-1 as she nails a crosscourt jump smash, a shot we saw a lot yesterday. 

Not the fastest of starts from Ashmita, as Busanan builds up a solid early lead. The Indian fights back towards the end but not enough, Busanan takes the opening game 21-11. Work to do for Ashmita, coach Gopi is having an animated chat with the left-hander. Goading her on. Mind you, she moves to the near side which hasn't been the easiest side to control the shuttle from. 

Momentum shortlived for the Indian. 9 game points for Busanan. 

Finally some rhythm for Ashmita, and she closes the gap to 11-17. 

Update from Shivani Naik: Coach Kim asking Busanan to strike the shuttle higher and stretch Ashmita vertically. The Indian trails 8-16 now.

Sluggish movements today from Ashmita Chaliha as she trails Busanan 6-11 at the interval. 

WS2: Ashmita Chaliha vs Busanan Ongbamrungphan. The Indian lead 1-0 on H2H. Here's what Gopichand had to say about her yesterday to Shivani Naik after a superb win against Nozomi Okuhara. 

"I haven’t seen her play this well since forever. You realize why everyone tells you there’s immense potential. It was the first time when I was sitting for her back-to-back matches, and I’ve figured out her psyche. You just need to sit there with a stick all the time in her case and keep telling her to not get carried away. And that you don’t need to be fantastic and brilliant all the time, even if you have the strokes. She just needs to be disciplined. And stick around, and she’ll be brilliant. She tends to be very patchy. But I was on her case all the time, and very happy to see her perform."

Here's how Game 3 unfolded as Gayatri-Treesa overturned a 6-10 deficit. 

Update from Shivani Naik: Treesa was mighty from the net today against the Thais. Power-play mostly, but also intimidation from the front court and not too complex rotations. The Indian lifts are genuinely attacking traps, than just defensive evasions with both Gayatri and Treesa. India 2-0 up in the finals here