Sudirman Cup: PV Sindhu snatches defeat from jaws of victory as India get thrashed 1-4 by Denmark
Before the women's doubles pair salvaged a win, April 27th was threatening to go down as one of the worst days in Indian badminton, where the giants were humbled and rookies were offered an abject reality check.
PV Sindhu in action at the Sudirman Cup against Denmark. Credit: BWF / Badminton Photo
Tanisha Crasto and Shruti Mishra objected with a defiant 21-13, 21-18 win in women’s doubles, the fifth match of the Sudirman Cup tie. But otherwise, April 27th was threatening to go down as one of the worst days in Indian badminton, where the giants were humbled and rookies were offered an abject reality check of where they stood.
India went down 4-1 to Denmark in their first group tie, and seldom has any Indian performance in shuttle, pointed to such hopelessness as on Sunday. Tanisha-Dhruv were shown the yawning gap between Top 20 and Top 10 in mixed doubles. HS Prannoy fought with fiery brimstone but never looked close to winning. PV Sindhu was twice on the verge of winning sets, but ceded 6 and 8 points in a row inexplicably. And Hariharan Amsakarunan and Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi realised in a rude awakening how simplicity in the form of a fast-paced, aggressive, flat game over a mere 6 exchanges in a rally, is still a long way off the elite level.
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The men’s doubles, both 21, and barely entering Top 50, will learn their lessons fast. But for India’s Top 20 shuttlers, this plummeting of fortunes will be tough to swallow.
India has never won a Sudirman Cup medal – probably the toughest team event that tests a country’s capability (top range, not depth) in each of the five disciplines. But Sunday made it plain that not much was going to change with the available set of players, with Satwik-Chirag and Treesa-Gayatri not travelling due to injuries.
Tanisha and Dhruv Kapila were declared team captains, but the freshly minted Top 20s got a swatting reminder of what Top 10s in mixed doubles is. Playing Danish World No 7s Jesper Toft and Amalie Magelund, the Indians ranked No.17, were never the favourites. But the young duo will need to learn to compose their nerves quickly, and hit the road running in any tournament. Defensively tentative, and overwhelmed by the stage, the top pairing which has been making some headway on the circuit, could not stem the flow of points as the Danes, got cracking quickly and never took the foot off the pedal in a 21-13, 21-14 win in 33 minutes.
There had been some debate over whether Lakshya Sen stood a better chance than Prannoy against Anders Antonsen. Given their recent form, But the second-best Dane who turned 28 on the day, weathered a Prannoy second set storm where the Indian amped up the pace, and hit some well-positioned down the line smashes.
But Prannoy struggled in an area that has been daunting him through the past few seasons — he just couldn’t go toe to toe with Antonsen after the 11th point break, and faded off 21-15, 21-16 in 49 blistering minutes. Dominating an individual rally he managed, stringing together a bunch of points, he couldn’t. What’s been depressing for India in the leadup is that Sen too has been out-manouvered in the endgame by Antonsen, a strangely resilient, heel-digging player despite his restless antics.
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The men’s doubles team lost 21-7, 21-4 in 21 minutes against former World No.1s Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen. They have the heart for a battle, but were just far too taken in by the enormity of the occasion (and replacing Satwik-Chirag), to be able to settle down and regain their poise. Aggression and speed in flat games is all very well but not when the defense disappears.
PV Sindhu led Line Kjaersfeldt 20-16 in the opening set. Then she frittered 6 points in the most irrational fashion to cede the opener 22-20. You would think she had regained her equilibrium leading 19-12 in the second set, but this time it was 8 straight points she allowed her opponent to snatch a win, in one of the biggest capitulations of her career. It was literally the lack of application in finishing the job, as she got waylaid by the leads and hoped for the last few points to fall in her lap. The Danish European champion stuck to basics, and sauntered past a crumbling opponent who had no clue about why she was crumbling.
Commentators talking of her need to polish her skills and constant changing of coaches, was the final nail in the coffin, though the problem was specifically in finishing, turning the proverbial knife.
Nothing to lose
Shruti and Tanisha had nothing to lose — not much to win either. And that seemed to liberate them from the pressure as they took to the court beaming away at the opportunity to play badminton. Natasjia Anthonisen and Alexandra Boje were really no match to the scratch Indian pair, who matched aggression with execution. At one point, Mishra and Crasto converged and the former literally tackled her partner, pushing her inadvertently while chasing the shuttle to the back court. She won that point with spunk, and the duo couldn’t stop grinning after that episode, haranguing the Danes with fast flat exchanges and cheeky net cord points.
Maybe Indian badminton just needs players who enjoy the tiny skirmishes of each point against opponents and don’t think too far ahead. Against formidable Indonesia, maybe Sindhu, Lakshya & Co could simply pursue that joie de vivre – the opportunity to represent India at a team event – and not stress the big stuff. Because pressure isn’t doing them any good.
Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball.
Professional Profile
Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express.
Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics.
Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium.
Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025)
Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond:
Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style.
PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps.
The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals.
Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas.
Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes.
Notable Recent Articles
BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025)
The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025)
Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025)
Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025)
Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025)
Other Sports Interests
Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts.
You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More
