Boria Majumdar in Paris
It was always going to be the match to win for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. And yet again, in the middle court, a French player was playing, which meant that that crowd was as loud as ever. But nothing mattered to them from the start. Focussed and determined, they set the pace. Against a famed Indonesian team, which has played some close matches with them in the past, one expected a tougher fight. It wasn’t. The Indians were just too good. That’s what it was. They played at a level very different from their opponents and at no point were they challenged.
In fact, even when they lose a few points on the trot, the lead wasn’t wiped out. That’s how strong they were and some of the shots were just breathtaking. Let me try and describe one from the the second game for you. The point was being controlled by the Indonesians and they played a smash which was expected to kill the point. And once they played it, they seemed to relax for a microsecond. Chirag somehow was on to it in a flash. A slight flick of the wrist and the shuttle travelled at 60 degrees to the far left of the court. All the Indonesians could do was watch, and the crowd too were left stunned. That was when the Indian fans found their voice, and there was a loud roar. Chirag pumped his fist, and was soon ready for the next point.
When we met them at the end of the match in the mixed zone, all they requested was to keep the chat short. Today was just a step, and they did not want to waste too much time doing media.
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Relaxed and focussed. Manu inspired us says Satwik. https://t.co/1hP3DShYDR
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) July 30, 2024
But in the limited time, a few gems came our way. Sample this: “Manu [Bhaker] inspired us all in the morning, and we said to ourselves if she can lead the way we too need to do something today,” said Satwik. “And to add to that, we met Neeraj Bhaiya in the village and he is our lucky charm. I said to him: ‘Bhaiya aaj match hai [brother, there is a match today]’, and he was like: ‘Zaroor jitoge [You’ll definitely win]’.”
Chirag wasn’t one to be left behind. When asked if they had peaked, he answered it well. “You can never peak,” he said. “You want to keep improving and keep getting better and better. But yes, more than topping the group, we wanted to win this match against a very good team, and one which has always played some close matches with us.”
It was time for them to leave, but they obliged the media present with a customary selfie. They are well and truly on their way in Paris, and are looking strong. And from what we have seen, it will be a real surprise if they don’t go the distance. While we know that the draw will get tougher in the knockouts, we also remember what Gopi [Pullela Gopichand] said to us. “On their day, and with them playing well there is no pair in the world that can stop the Indians,” he said. “They are that good. We just need them to stay injury-free and continue on their quest.”
All of India wants the same. And Tuesday was proof that they look good enough to make Paris their own.
Also Read: More days like Tuesday make the 18-hour Olympic efforts worth it