Balaji is better option for doubles: Skipper Rajpal

India’s Davis Cup captain Rohit Rajpal on Friday said recent match exposure and form influenced the team management’s decision to select N Sriram Balaji in place of originally-picked Ritvik Bollipalli for the doubles match in the tie against the Netherlands. Explaining the doubles combination after the draw, Rajpal said the team had ample time to assess players during extended practice sessions. Balaji and Bollialli had played against Switzerland in the previous away tie that Yuki Bhambri had missed.

“We got here early and played a lot of sets. Balaji has been playing back-to-back tournaments and just came off a very good result in Bahrain,” Rajpal said. “Ritvik is playing well, but he hasn’t competed actively for the last one-and-a-half to two months. It was a difficult call, but we felt it would be better not to put him straight into a high-pressure Davis Cup match and give him more time to ease back in.”

India’s top singles player Sumit Nagal said acclimatising to Bengaluru’s altitude typically takes a few days, even though the city is not at extreme elevation (900m). “If I’m playing at altitude, I like to arrive at least three or four days in advance. It’s about hitting a lot of balls, playing cross and down the line, and getting a feel of the conditions. Weather wise, Bengaluru is great,” Nagal said.