The ninth-seeded Indian team was stunned 0-3 by Scotland in the qualifying event of the World Team Squash C'ships in Denmark.
Seeded outside the top 16, Scotland featured players ranked much below the Indians but Ritwik Bhattacharya, Gaurav Nandrajog and Harinder Pal Sandhu lost their pool openers before staging a comeback.
The defeat to Scotland means India must now beat tournament favourites Italy to have a chance of finishing second in the pool and getting into the top 16 playoffs, which w! ould ensure them an easier draw and valuable ranking points.
As many as 28 nations are competing in the qualifying event divided into seven groups which will finally produce a team order from 1-28.
Scotland went into the tie led by Alan Clyne, the world number 83 from Edinburgh, who beat Ritwik -- ranked 18 places higher -- 11-7, 11-4, 11-5 at the Squash Center Denmark.
The relatively unknown side sealed victory when unheralded Chris Small from Dunfermline beat world number 205 Gaurav Nandrajog 11-8, 11-9, 11-5.
The Scots completed a whitewash when world number 132 Stuart Crawford beat world number 145 Harinder Pal Sandhu from Chennai 12-10, 11-4, 11-6.
However, India bounced back strongly later by beating outsiders Venezuela 3-0.
Ritwik beat Juan Pablo Rothie 11-8, 12-10, 11-8 in 23 minutes, while Nandrajog outplayed Gabriel Teran 11-1, 11-3, 11-5 in 16 minutes.
Harinder Pal Sandhu made it 3-0 by getting past Juan Pablo Sanc! hez 11-5, 11-3, 11-1 in just 18 minutes.
