The Indian men scripted history by notching up their first ever win over China in any team event with a 3-2 verdict in the league phase of the Happening Hyderabad Badminton Asia team championship at Gachibowli Indoor Stadium here on Thursday.

For the host, which made it to the knockout phase, captain and World No. 9 K. Srikanth finally got the better of World No. 8 Tian Houwei with a 21-11, 21-17 win in the first singles that lasted just 33 minutes.

Srikanth said he was happy to defeat Tian for the first time in six meetings. “Playing in front of the home crowd has an advantage and I enjoyed this win thoroughly,” he said.

However, in the next match, the men’s doubles, Manu Attri and B. Sumeeth Reddy went down fighting to Li Junhui Qiu Zihan 20-22, 11-21.

But, soon World No. 25 Ajay Jayaram pulled off a major upset, shocking World No. 11 Wang Zhengming with a 22-20, 15-21, 21-18 win in 90 minutes.

“It is always a great feeling to beat a strong Chinese player. I am really happy with the way I played. I think I managed to play the big points well in a close contest,” said Jayaram later. “There was lot of drift and it was very difficult to control the shuttle,” he added.

The focus then shifted to the other doubles pair of Pranaav Chopra and Akshay Dewalkar. The duo fought well against Wang Yilv and Zhang Wen but lost 10-21, 18-21.

In the decider, World No. 27 H.S. Prannoy ensured victory for the home team with a fluent 21-14, 21-10 win over Shi Yuqi in 33 minutes.

“I was not tense. I knew his game and was better prepared to face him today than I was in the Indonesian Open when I lost to him. He is not the typical Chinese player; he keeps changing the shuttle and rushes to the net,” Prannoy said.

“It is a great feeling to be part of an Indian team which beat China though it is without star players like Lin Dan and Chen Long,” Prannoy said.

Chief national coach P. Gopi Chand played down the big win insisting that since it had come midway through the event the celebrations had to be low key. “No doubt, it is a great win despite China fielding a second string team. We need to keep pulling ourselves together in the next three days,” he said.

However, in the evening the Indian women, who also made it to the knockout phase on Wednesday itself, came up with a disappointing show as they were drubbed 5-0 by Japan.

Even star player P.V. Sindhu, South Asian Games gold medallist Ruthvika Shivani and the women’s doubles pair of G. Jwala and Ashwini Ponnappa came a cropper.

The results:

Men: India bt China 3-2 (K. Srikanth bt Tian Houwei 21-11, 21-17; Manu Attri & B. Sumeeth Reddy lost to Li Junhui & Qiu Zihan 20-22, 11-21; Ajay Jayaram bt Wang Zhengming 22-20, 15-21, 21-18; Pranaav Chopra & Akshay Dewalkar lost to Wang Yilv & Zhang Wen 10-21, 18-21; H.S. Prannoy bt Shi Yuqi 21-14, 21-10).

Korea bt Hong Kong China 3-2; Sri Lanka bt Nepal 5-0; Japan bt Malaysia 4-1.

Women: Japan bt India 5-0 (Nozomi Okuhara bt P.V. Sindhu 18-21, 21-12, 21-12; Sayaka Sato bt P.C. Thulasi 24-22, 21-14; Yui Hashimoto bt Ruthvika Shivani 23-25, 21-14, 21-14; Misaki Matsutomo & Ayaka Takahashi bt G. Jwala & Ashwini Ponnappa 21-12, 21-18; Shizuka Matsuo & Mami Naito bt N. Sikki Reddy & Sindhu 18-21, 21-11, 21-16).

China bt Malaysia 4-1; Thailand bt Chinese Taipei 4-1; Korea bt Indonesia 4-1.