New Delhi, Sept. 25 -- The echoes of a hard fought men's team bronze had barely faded from the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium before India's badminton contingent was dealt a crushing reality check on Friday.

On a day that was supposed to serve as a routine launchpad for the individual competitions at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, the nation's most formidable medal prospects suffered a monumental collapse. Defending champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the fourth seeds, were knocked out in the very first round, sending shockwaves through the tournament draw.

The world No.5 pair - the only Indian shuttlers ever to win a gold at Asian Games last time around in Hangzhou - were humbled by the spirited Thai pairing of Pak...