India's Sudirman Cup campaign got off to a disappointing start with a 3-2 loss to Malaysia in the opening fixture.
India had started well, winning the mixed doubles in three games. Ashwini Ponappa and Satwisksairaj Rankireddy came back from losing the first game 16-21 by winning the next two games 21-17, 24-22 against Shevon Jemie Lai and Goh Soon Huat.
Malaysia pulled themselves into the fixture in the next match, though, as world No. 20 Lee Zii Jia dismantled the higher-ranked Sameer Verma in straight games, 21-13, 21-15.
PV Sindhu then brushed aside the challenge Goh Jin Wei in the women's singles 21-12, 21-8 to take a short-lived lead.
In the men's doubles, B Sumeeth Reddy and Manu Attri put up a brave fight, but lost to Aaron Chia and Ae Yi Teo 22-20, 21-19 as the pendulum kept swinging back and forth between the teams.
With the fixture level at 2-2, it would be decided in the women's doubles.
Lee Meng Yean and Chow Mei Kuan powered through their first game against Ponappa and N Sikki Reddy, winning it 21-11 before the Indians staged a fightback in the second. Leading by six points at one stage, the Malaysians reeled them back in to win 21-19.
India now face a must-win fixture on Wednesday against a Chinese team that beat Malaysia 5-0 on Monday.