Davis Cup 2020, Qualifiers: India trash Pakistan 3-0; to play Croatia in World Group Qualifier
After a brilliant start to the tie between India and Pakistan on 29th November, where the Indian team secured a 2-0 lead thanks to Sumit Nagal and Ramkumar Ramanathan, it was the turn of Leander Paes and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan to seal the deal today.
Playing in sub-zero conditions in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, the Indian team took charge of the situation on the second day as well and notched up a clinical win against Pakistan. With this victory, India has now successfully emerged as the unquestionable winner of the tie and will be traveling to Croatia in March to play in the World Qualifiers.
Veteran player and 18-time Grand Slam doubles Champion, Leander Paes paired up with Davis Cup debutant Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan to take on the juvenile duo of Mohammed Shoaib and Huzaifa Abdul Rehman.
Also Checkout: The Davis Cup 2020 Qualifiers Schedule
Both Shoaib and Rehman had had a feel of the Indian side on the previous day when Shoaib was double-bagelled by Ramkumar Ramanathan and Rehman could only snatch two games from his match against India's Sumit Nagal.
Paes, by winning the match reached a hallmark moment in his career as this represented his 44th doubles match win, the highest ever in Davis Cup history. His earlier record of 43 doubles match wins at the Davis Cup also stands unparalleled.
In a matter of 53 minutes, the match was done and dusted as the duo of Rehman and Shoaib could barely match the combined experience of Paes and Nedunchezhiyan. Rehman and Shoaib started out strong but were soon broken and kept squandering away their chances, giving the Indian side an easier road to victory. The Pakistani duo lost to Paes and Nedunchezhiyan 6-1, 6-3.
It was a crushing defeat for the Pakistan side as India all but pummelled the youngsters from the neighboring nation. With the absence of experienced players like Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Aqeel Khan, the Pakistani side looked weak from the start.
India was expected to get their way and they stuck to that script as they won the tie successfully. With this win in their pocket, India will travel to Croatia in March and fight it out with the 2018 Davis Cup Champions for a place in the World Group that would participate in the 2020 Davis Cup Finals.
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