The Davis Cup tie between India and Netherlands was dragged into a decisive final match on Sunday after Sumit Nagal’s singles defeat allowed the visitors to draw 2-2, erasing the lead India had gained through their dramatic doubles victory earlier in the day.Nagal, who had given India a perfect start by taking the first set, could not maintain the momentum and fell 7-5, 1-6, 4-6 to world number 88 Jesper de Jong in a tough contest that lasted close to three hours. The defeat set up a winner-take-all fifth singles, and Dhakshineswar Suresh was once again entrusted with the responsibility of helping India pull through. He faces Dutch debutant Guy de Ouden, who had beaten Nagal on Saturday.
Earlier, India had taken a 2-1 lead after Yuki Bhambri and Dhakshineswar Suresh edged out David Pel and Sander Arends in a gripping doubles match, winning 7-6 (0), 3-6, 7-6 (1) in a match that swung repeatedly for three hours.In the reverse singles, Nagal broke De Jong in the first game and kept his errors in check from the start. The Dutchman, however, bounced back by winning three games in a row to take a narrow lead. After exchanging breaks, Nagal found another momentum late in the set, breaking serve in the eleventh game and confidently closing it out with a powerful forehand.Conditions eased in the second set, which initially seemed to suit Nagal’s counter-punching game. De Jong, however, took control with a double break to open a 5-1 lead. Even though Nagal saved multiple break points in a long sixth game, De Jong eventually forced a decider.The Dutchman struck early in the final set and gradually wore down Nagal in a physically demanding phase. Although Nagal managed to recover once, De Jong held his nerve to seal the match and level the tie.Earlier, Indian captain Rohit Rajpal’s decision to pair Bhambri with Dhakshineswar in doubles proved inspiring. In the first set, Bhambri was repeatedly tested on serve, but the Indian pair survived several break points before dominating the tie-break without conceding a point.The Netherlands responded in the second set when Bhambri’s service problems resurfaced, allowing the visitors to break and level the match. The deciding set became a battle of patience, with India creating multiple break point opportunities that initially disappeared.The turning point came after Arends needed a medical timeout for his left hand. From then on, his serve lost steam and the Indians finally seized the opportunity to clinch the match and give themselves a slight lead that now rests on Dhakshineswar’s shoulders in the decisive fifth match.
