Olympics 2021: 3 takeaways from Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty's men's doubles badminton match 

India's men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty started their Olympics 2021 campaign in style. Placed in Group A, the Indian p beat World No.3 pair Yang Lee and Lin-Chang Wang of Chinese Taipei 21-16 16-21 27-25 in 69 minutes. This was the Taipei pair's first defeat in 497 days.

The Indians will next face the Indonesian pair Sanjaya Kevin Sukamuljo and Fernaldi Marcus Gideon.

DEBUT TO REMEMBER 🤩MD @Shettychirag04 & @satwiksairaj beat World Rank no. 3 Chinese Taipei pair of L. Yang & W. Chi in their first clash if #Olympic by 21-16, 16-21, 27-25. They faced each other for the first time 🤯#SmashfortheGlory#badminton#Tokyo2020#Cheer4India pic.twitter.com/u9X6gyq02L

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) July 24, 2021

Here are 3 takeaways from Satwiksairaj Ranki Reddy and Chirag Shetty's opening match success

#1. The Indian pair need to learn to close out matches early

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty started the match in a dominant fashion, winning the first game 21-16. It looked like they would win the second game too and finish the match early. But Yang Lee and Lin-Chang Wang bounced back to beat the Indians 21-16, forcing the Indians to win the match in a decider. To progress further in the event, the Indian pair will need to close out matches early.

#2. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won the point that mattered

With the scores leveled at 20-20 in the final game, the Indian pair kept their cool. Yang Lee and Lin-Chang Wang stretched the game to 25 points each, but Satwiksairaj Ranki Reddy and Chirag Shetty clinched two crucial points to win the match. The Indian duo showed they are capable of rising to the occasion in big moments.

#3. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty preferred short rallies

The longest rally of the first game was 23 shots long. The longest rally of the second game took 30 shots while, in the final game, this came down to 18 shots. The average rally length in the first and third games was five shots each. In the second game, this was six shots. The Indians won the first and third games, highlighting their preference for shorter rallies. However, they were uncomfortable with longer rallies, which cost them the second game.