After four days of non-stop action, India and Pakistan head to Chandigarh knowing that the team that adapts faster will take a decisive lead in the first bilateral tennis series.
The teams are locked on 1-1, after Pakistan's Aisam Qureshi and Aqeel Khan beat the Indian duo of Mustafa Ghouse and Divij Sharan 6-2, 4-6, 13-11 in the doubles to seal the Lahore leg 3-0.
India had earlier won the Islamabad Test 2-1.
The frantic schedule of the series has left the players gasping for breath. The first Test was held on clay in Islamabad, on November 6 and 7, before the teams rushed off to the lawns of Lahore for the second Test on November 8 and 9.
India's singles players, Rohan Bopanna and Karan Rastogi, started early from Lahore and got a good hit in at the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association on Thursday evening. But Indian captain and coach Nandan Bal, the doubles players and the Pakistani entourage arrived only on Thursday night and would be forced to take court on Friday morning without decent practice.
"The concept is good but it is very hectic. We'll almost play three surfaces in three days tomorrow," said India's top doubles player Bopanna.
"They should've spread it a little; give at least one-day gap before we play at the next place.
"After the Islamabad game we got into Lahore only at one in the morning and had to play the match at 10. We got about only ten minutes of practice."
Bopanna lost the match in three sets to a much-lower ranked Aqeel.
According to the original format, the teams were to play all three matches (two singles and one doubles) on one day and then head off to the next venue. But Pakistan altered it due to guest availability to play the doubles match on the next day.
To make matters worse the teams have been moved in and out of cities in buses, with all the venues at least four hours apart.
"I went to Pakistan for the first time and all I saw were the courts and the hotels we were staying in. Adjusting to different surfaces -- it was kind of a gray clay in Islamabad and the court in Lahore was lightening fast -- is not so much of a problem but the travel is too much, there is no recovery time at all," added Bopanna.
On the other hand, Mumbai's Rastogi has enjoyed his 'diplomacy' trip to Pakistan.
"It's been fun. The travel's a little tough but everyone in Pakistan was very good, they took good care of us. They made us feel like it was an important India-Pakistan series. We had official dinners almost every night," said the 20-year-old.
Ratsogi, who has been a part of the Indian Davis Cup squad for almost two years now played his first match in India colours in Islamabad.
"I have been part of the Davis Cup long enough, so I guess I'm used to it. There's no extra pressure playing for India and considering I won the first set while playing for the country 6-0, it's definitely a good start.
"It does help the players shrapen their skills also. For me, playing against Qureshi on grass was an experience. I wasn't surprised that I lost 1 and 4; it was the fastest court I have ever played on."
Though Bopanna and Ratsogi have tried to get their eye in on the hard court in Chandigarh, the looming threat of Qureshi remains. Neither of them has beaten the Pakistani before. Bopanna lost a close match to Qureshi in Chandigarh last year in the Futures.
"I hope we have an advantage since they will not have any practice whatsoever here," said Rastogi, "But in the end we'll start the match at love all and the better player will win."
