Slippery slope: By not turning up for the nation, Nagal has opened a debate.
| Picture Credit score: FILE PHOTO: SANDEEP SAXENA
The one shock within the 0-4 defeat in opposition to Sweden within the World Group 1 Davis Cup tie in Stockholm final week was the Indian crew not profitable even a set. Nonetheless, the noise surrounding this tie is unusually heavy and fairly jarring, with accusations and counters.
What has not gone down nicely is the truth that the 29-year-old Sumit Nagal, ranked No. 82, lamented the shortage of depth in Indian tennis in a podcast together with his mentor Somdev Devvarman.
India’s probabilities would have been enhanced had Nagal performed in Stockholm. However there was nonetheless no assure as he had misplaced twice to the Swedish No. 1 Elias Ymer and had overwhelmed him solely as soon as on clay, this 12 months. The Davis Cup tie was performed on an indoor exhausting court docket.
Ramkumar Ramanathan, India No. 2, confirmed up and competed in addition to he might; as former captain Mahesh Bhupathi put it properly, Ramkumar turns up for Nationwide obligation regardless of his kind or how he feels.
This isn’t the primary time Nagal has opted out of Davis Cup. He did that in India’s earlier project, in opposition to Pakistan within the World Group 1 playoff in Islamabad. Nonetheless, the inadequacies of Indian tennis weren’t uncovered then as Ramkumar and firm cruised previous Pakistan 4-0 when Zeeshan Ali was each captain and coach.
Regardless of pulling it off in opposition to the neighbour, there was no chest thumping. In distinction, Nagal took credit score (in the course of the podcast) for serving to India clinch the World Group 2 tie in opposition to Morocco in Lucknow, profitable each his matches.
The actual fact stays that Nagal has gained solely 4 extra rubbers, two in opposition to the lesser-known Pakistan gamers in 2019 when Aisam Qureshi and Aqeel Khan refused to play on impartial floor in Kazakhstan. One different victory got here in a useless rubber in opposition to Norway. His solely notable win was in opposition to August Holmgren in three units within the World Group 1 playoff final 12 months in opposition to Denmark.
Nagal might have had real grouse, particularly after not being nominated by the AITA for the Australian Open wild card this 12 months. Nonetheless, as Nandan Bal, the chairman of selectors, put it succinctly, Nagal ought to have understood that he was taking part in for India, not the AITA.
With mounting criticism, the AITA selected to defend itself, and recommended that Nagal might have missed the Sweden tie on goal regardless of all of the persuasion. To search out fault with the Indian system — nevertheless real — forward of a match during which he was seemingly injured was fairly unbecoming of Nagal, the nation’s No. 1 participant.
Printed – September 18, 2024 09:38 pm IST
