‘Great to see Paes, Bhupathi again in Davis Cup team’
kolkata — Former Davis cup captain Naresh Kumar on Thursday hoped Indian tennis superstars Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi can set their differences aside and make their chemistry work when Uzbekistan comes calling for the second round of the Asia/Oceania Group 1 Davis Cup tie, beginning on April 7.
Besides the star-duo, the sixmember squad also includes singles specialists Yuki Bhambri and Ramkumar Ramanathan, along with youngsters N. Sriram Balaji and Prajnesh Gunneswaran. It will be further pruned to four, two weeks before the rubber gets off in Bengaluru.
“Of course I welcome the move. They have been fighting, you have seen everyone is fighting with everybody (laughs). So if they can get together that will be very much better for us,” Kumar, 87, told reporters.
“Two or three years ago all these fights were taking place, we have to get out of that. Let us hope that with Bhupathi’s coming back, there is a reconciliation.”
Asked whether he foresees the camaraderie between the pair who have a Davis Cup record of the longest winning streak in doubles, with 23 straight wins, rekindling again in the twilight of their careers, Kumar said if you’re not pals off the court, it is difficult to strike a chord on it.
“I can’t say. That’s a personal thing between them. Whether they are really at peace or not I can’t say. But it’s a very good sign if they are going to come together.
“They say that when they get together their chemistry works. You can say what you like. If you’re not friends, to make chemistry on the court is not easy. But maybe they are special.”
Known as the “Indian Express”, Paes and Bhupathi have an enviable 303-103 career record together. On December 22 last year, Bhupathi, 42, was made the successor of Anand Amritraj as India’s next non-playing Davis Cup captain. — Agencies