More important than which player, it’s a matter of which strategy will work against the Uzbeks at the Davis Cup for an Indian victory. After day one ended with both teams on equal footing — with Rohan Bopanna expectedly winning his singles and with debutant Somdev Dev Varman losing his at the RK Khanna Stadium in the Capital — it’s back to the drawing board for the hosts.

While India are admittedly on the “front foot” in the tournament, going in to Saturday’s doubles tie as favourites against Uzbekistan, it remains to be decided which duo the seemingly spoilt-for-choice non-playing captain Leander Paes favours more. But it’s really doubles specialist Mahesh Bhupathi who will take the final call as to who he chooses to partner.

Bopanna has had a feel of the grass, and is more than willing to play three matches in three days, and has Paes’s nod. Prakash Amritraj is still recuperating from a so-called ‘stomach-bug’.

On a day that saw the start of matches delayed due to threatening weather conditions, Paes was brightened by the performance of both Rohan ‘Bofors’ Bopanna and Somdev. While Bopanna tamed Uzbek No 2 Farrukh Dustov 6-3, 6-3, 6-1, Somdev was menaced by higher-ranked Denis Istomin in a more engaging match.

Somdev proved his athletic ability, covering the court well and keeping Istomin busy in long rallies that got longer by the set, and looked the perfect challenger to Istomin’s game. Somdev won points on Istomin’s serve and even won his first game in the first set 40-0. The 22-year-old, however, was failing to convert those long rallies into points. He lost 3-6, 4-6, 1-6.

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