NAMANGAN: It will be a test of character for a depleted Indian team as it attempts to stay afloat in Group `I' of the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania zone, starting with the tie against Uzbekistan.

With the regulars Mahesh Bhupathi, Rohan Bopanna, Prakash Amritraj and Harsh Mankad opting out of the squad, the young team with Karan Rastogi as the spearhead will attempt to prove its worth on indoor clay on foreign soil in cold conditions.

The expectations from this young Indian team, led by Leander Paes will be minimal.

The 19-year-old Delhi boy Vivek Shokeen will start the campaign against the Uzbek No.1, the 208th ranked Denis Istomin, in the first rubber on Friday. Karan Rastogi will take on the 20-year-old Farrukh Dustov, ranked 249, in the second rubber on the opening day.

Leander and Sunil Kumar will play the doubles against the Asian champions Istomin and Murad Inoyatov.

Leander had led India to a 5-0 triumph over Uzbekistan in the only previous Davis Cup meeting between the two countries in 2005, when the Uzbeks found it hard to negotiate the surface in Jaipur without the grass-court shoes. Unfortunately, only memories are left from that tie.

Karan's record

Karan has a 1-1 record against Istomin. Quite notably he had beaten him on clay in three sets in a Futures tournament in 2005. Istomin may be struggling with his form, after having won one match in the last five tournaments dating back to October last year, but the young man will count on the home advantage.

The 19-year-old Vivek Shokeen has had some good wins, like the one against Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi in the Indo-Pak series and more recently against the top-seeded Alexei Kedriouk of Kazakhstan in the Futures tournament. It will be a golden opportunity for him to grab the chance to bolster his career.

The major advantage for the host will be that it has two quality players, much better ranked than the Indians, and a strong doubles combination. Farrukh Dustov is a regular in the Challenger circuit around the world and may prove more solid than Istomin.

But then, hope springs eternal. India clings on to faint hope.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail