India Trails 0-2 in Davis Cup After Tough Opening Day

India faced a challenging start in the Davis Cup World Group I tie against Sweden, trailing 0-2. N Sriram Balaji was defeated by Elias Ymer, and Ramkumar Ramanathan fell to lower-ranked Leo Borg. India must win all remaining matches to reach next year's Qualifiers, with decisions pending on player combinations.

India faced a challenging start in the Davis Cup World Group I tie against Sweden, trailing behind 0-2 after the opening day on Saturday. N Sriram Balaji struggled against Elias Ymer, losing 6-4, 6-2, while Ramkumar Ramanathan, who had the responsibility to level the tie, succumbed to a 3-6, 3-6 defeat against lower-ranked Leo Borg.

Complications arose as India had to field Balaji in singles due to top singles player Sumit Nagal's back injury. Although Balaji managed a win against Pakistan previously, Ymer proved a formidable opponent. Ramkumar was expected to secure a point but failed to counter Borg's effective play.

The onus now lies on winning all three remaining matches to proceed to next year's Qualifiers, leaving captain Rohit Rajpal with crucial decisions regarding player combinations. History shows India won ties after a 0-2 deficit twice before, but the team faces an uphill battle.

(With inputs from agencies.)