Davis Cup | India’s tour of Pakistan, memorable in more ways than one

India’s Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni shake fingers with Pakistan’s Muzammil Murtaza and Aqeel Khan on the finish of their doubles match in the Davis Cup World Group I play-off tennis, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

India’s journey to Pakistan earlier this month for the Davis Cup World Group I playoff was memorable in more ways than one. It was the primary time in over six many years that the Indian tennis staff had crossed the Wagah border. And at a time when bilateral cricket — essentially the most marquee of sports activities performed between the neighbours — is in deep freeze, it felt liberating.

“We are all good associates on the circuit and I’ve performed [doubles] with Aisam [Ul-Haq Qureshi],” stated Sriram Balaji, who performed the second singles for India in Islamabad, on the sidelines of the dafaNews Bengaluru Open. “We don’t need politics or something concerned right here. We are tennis gamers, and we [India and Pakistan] converse comparable languages. They are additionally good individuals.”

Qureshi, who misplaced the opening singles to Ramkumar Ramanathan, is in truth a recurrent identify in Indian tennis circles. Qureshi and Rohan Bopanna had been well-known because the ‘Indo-Pak Express’ and even sported the slogan ‘Stop War, Start Tennis’ on their T-shirts. The duo reached the 2010 US Open doubles ultimate and likewise made the grade for the 2011 ATP Tour Finals.

India’s Ramkumar Ramanathan greets Pakistan’s Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi after successful the singles tennis match of the Davis Cup World Group-1 play-off between Pakistan and India, in Islamabad on February 3, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
AFP

And in late 2019, it was Qureshi who introduced Ramkumar and Purav Raja collectively, hoping that their “complementary styles” may click on collectively. The partnership instantly bore fruit as Ramkumar and Purav gained three Challengers on the bounce and likewise made the semifinals on the ATP 250 in Pune (2020), setting the inspiration for Ramkumar’s now blossoming doubles profession.

“Aisam in truth supplied to take us all out to see locations,” stated Sunil Yajaman, joint-secretary of the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association and the supervisor on the tour to Pakistan. “That was very nice. But the safety was strict, and we needed to comply with protocol.

“It was a unique expertise. They took care of us very effectively. Many individuals had been excited to have us, to set an instance for different sports activities like cricket and hockey to go there to play,” Yajaman added.

For Niki Poonacha, making his Cup debut for India was the spotlight, whereas for Saketh Myneni it was about having the Pakistan stamp in his passport.

“Having that on my passport is one thing I’ll cherish. Doesn’t occur to too many of us, does it?” It will, if one doesn’t have to attend for one more six many years for cross-border camaraderie.