India’s journey to Pakistan earlier this month for the Davis Cup World Group I playoff was memorable in more ways than one. It was the first time in over six decades that the Indian tennis team had crossed the Wagah border. And at a time when bilateral cricket — the most marquee of sports played between the neighbours — is in deep freeze, it felt liberating.
“We are all good friends on the circuit and I have played [doubles] with Aisam [Ul-Haq Qureshi],” said Sriram Balaji, who played the second singles for India in Islamabad, on the sidelines of the dafaNews Bengaluru Open. “We don’t want politics or anything involved here. We are tennis players, and we [India and Pakistan] speak similar languages. They are also good people.”
