Ayush Shetty (BWF/Badminton Photo) NEW DELHI: India’s march to the semi-finals of the Thomas Cup has been fueled not only by performance but also by growing confidence, with young shuttler Ayush Shetty saying the team – champions in 2022 – is confident of going above and beyond to win the title.After sealing India’s 3-0 quarter-final win over Chinese Taipei, Ayush made his intent clear after posting a brilliant 21-16, 21-17 victory over world number eight Lin Chun-Yi.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!“We believe we can go all the way. It’s always been like that. We have a solid team and everyone believes we can do it,” Ayush said, underscoring the team’s collective confidence.The 20-year-old, playing in his first Thomas Cup, was unbeaten so far and credited the team’s early dominance for taking the pressure off the knockout stage. “Yesterday was the group stage, but today there was a bit more pressure. The 2-0 lead made it a bit easier. I think I played with confidence and I’m happy to win for the team,” he added.Ayush also revealed a clear tactical approach against Lin. “He’s an All England champion and he’s got a really strong attack. The plan was to attack more and not give him many chances and I think I’ve done it pretty well. I’m happy,” he said.Lakshya’s fearless comeback sets the toneThe Indian charge was sparked by Lakshya Sen, who scripted a remarkable comeback to beat world number six Chou Tien Chen 18-21, 22-20, 21-17 to save two match points.“It was a really good first game from him. He was a lot more fearless and I was a bit unsure whether to attack or defend,” admitted Lakshya.“The second and third games, even though they went to deuce, I just didn’t wait for things to happen. I tried to be more proactive, especially in the closing stages.”He also revealed how he overcame his early nerves. “My coach told me that I didn’t look confident and that I was exaggerating my strategies. He asked me to stop thinking too much and just play with my instincts,” he said.A pair of doubles serve under pressureThe experienced duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty then put India in command with a hard-fought win.“We really wanted the first tie in our favor … to see him win from 20-18 to 20-20 and as he celebrated, I celebrated,” Chirag said, highlighting the team’s energy.Satwik emphasized composure as a key factor. “We had to calm down… we just wanted to play a little more calmly and stick to the strategy,” he explained.
