India delivered a spirited performance but went down 4–8 to Japan in their second pool-stage match at the ITTF Mixed Team World Championships.

Despite the defeat, the tie featured two notable highlights for India, with Manika Batra and Manav Thakkar registering wins over top-10 global opponents.

Japan took the early lead when Yashaswini Ghorpade and Akash Pal lost the mixed doubles opener 0–3 to Miwa Harimoto and Shunsuke Togami. The straight-game defeat placed India under immediate pressure in the eight-rubber contest.

Manika Batra then produced one of the standout results of her career, defeating world No. 8 Mima Ito 2–1 (9–11, 11–8, 11–8). The victory marked her first-ever win over the Japanese star and levelled the overall tie at 1–1, giving India a significant boost.

Manav Thakkar added a second win for India with a composed performance in the men’s singles rubber against world No. 8 Sora Matsushima. Thakkar prevailed 2–1 (11–9, 11–4, 6–11), putting India ahead for the first time in the tie.

However, Japan regained control through the women’s doubles. The pairing of Hina Hayata and Mima Ito overpowered Diya Chitale and Yashaswini Ghorpade 3–0, restoring Japan’s advantage and shifting momentum in their favour.

Japan closed out the remaining rubbers efficiently to secure the 8–4 result, leaving India searching for their first win after an earlier loss to Croatia in the opening pool match.