Ramped up security, low bouncing grass courts: India look to ace PAK experience

Ever since India were drawn to play Pakistan last September, this Davis Cup tie has been under heightened spotlight. For varied reasons: India’s request to shift it to a neutral venue, the country’s top singles players pulling out, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) rejecting India’s appeal, the government giving its nod for Indian players to travel to Pakistan.
That hasn’t happened in 60 years. And, given the air of unknown surrounding this tie, players weren’t totally sure it would happen this time too. Until they landed in Islamabad for the landmark Davis Cup World Group I play-off encounter to be played over the weekend on the grass courts of Pakistan Sports Complex.
Landmark, not quite in its content — India have never lost to Pakistan in Davis Cup history — but context. For, amid bilateral sporting action between India and Pakistan across sports being at a standstill on either country’s soil, this is the first instance of Indian players visiting Pakistan to play Pakistan in a mainstream sport in several years.
“Definitely, there was an air of unknown coming here,” Yuki Bhambri, among the most experienced members of the travelling Indian squad, said over phone from Islamabad. “No one from the team has travelled to Pakistan before. No one thought we would ever be travelling to Pakistan because of, obviously, the differences. But now that we’re here, we are excited and looking forward to the tie.”
India were drawn to play Pakistan away in 2019 as well, but that Asia/Oceania Group I tie was shifted to a neutral venue (Kazakhstan) due to security concerns. This time, the ITF did not accept All India Tennis Association’s (AITA) request, compelling India to either travel or forfeit the tie.
Travel they have, under some of the most stringent protocols. AITA’s security apprehensions and ITF’s intervention has meant the layers of security around the Indian contingent, comprising players and AITA officials, is intense. Players’ movement is restricted to the hotel and courts, with no leeway for them to venture out for even a meal.
“The security has been top notch. The downside to that has been we’ve been restricted to the hotel and the tennis court. But we understand that, and we’re happy that we’ve been provided with this security. We’ve had a lot of practice sessions here to keep us busy. And the Pakistan federation has done a wonderful job in terms of hospitality,” said Bhambri.
India-Pakistan contests carry plenty of nostalgia in India’s Davis Cup folklore. The last time India toured Pakistan was in 1964, when Akhtar Ali, father of India’s current non-playing captain Zeeshan Ali, Premjit Lall and Shiv Prakash Misra beat the hosts 4-0 in Lahore. Two years prior to that, the Ramanathan Krishnan-led India beat them 5-0. From more recent memory, who can forget the Leander Paes-inspired 3-2 victory on the grass courts of Mumbai’s Cricket Club of India in 2006.
The rivalry may have waned in tennis but the history, and added chatter, around India-Pakistan contests is continued to be felt by players.
“I do know how much of a rivalry there is, especially having witnessed that in cricket, in hockey — I’ve seen a lot of that on TV growing up and how things are covered in the media,” Bhambri, the former junior world No. 1, said. “We do understand that, and it is natural, because there is a rivalry. But having said that, on the court, there already is a lot of pressure, because you want to do well for your country, irrespective of who is across the net. That’s how the boys and I look at it.”
‘Old school’ grass courts challenge
Even without their top singles pros (Sumit Nagal and Mukund Sasikumar had pulled out of this tie) and doubles world No. 1 Rohan Bopanna, India start as favourites against a Pakistan unit whose top singles player is ranked in the 1000s. Doubles specialist Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, their lone face on the ATP Tour whose ranking too has dropped, will therefore also play singles at age 43 and will open the tie against Ramkumar Ramanathan on Saturday. Aqeel Khan, 44, will play N Sriram Balaji in the second singles rubber. Bhambri and Saketh Myneni will take on Barkatullah and Muzammil Murtaza in the opening doubles contest on Sunday.
On paper, India should extend their unbeaten 7-0 record against Pakistan but the variable of playing on grass, a surface not many Indians are used to, could kick in. Bhambri described the low-bouncing Islamabad grass courts as “very old school”.
“It is a bit of a challenge. On paper, we are better, but they are an experienced team and have beaten a few good teams to reach this stage. The grass courts here are of a different kind — very old school, low bouncing. And very few of us have played on it. So, it’s an experience, but hopefully we will be well equipped to deal with it,” he said.