Davis Cup: India blank Pakistan 4-0, seal place in World Group I
Islamabad (PTI): Indian Davis Cup team capped its historic visit to Pakistan after 60 years by sealing its place in World Group I as it blanked Pakistan 4-0 with Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni recording a comfortable victory and Niki Poonacha making a winning debut, here Sunday.
Taking the court with a 2-0 lead in pocket, Bhambri and Myneni subdued the home team of Muzammil Murtaza and Aqeel Khan 6-2 7-6(5) in the doubles rubber to extend India's dominance of Pakistan in the tournament.
Aqeel replaced Barkat Ullah in the side. The idea was to have an experienced player for the do-or-die match, the defeat in which would have clinched India the tie.
However, Bhambri and big-serving Myneni did not put a foot wrong in the match in which they were not troubled by their rivals much. The gulf in quality in the two teams was apparent.
Myneni's big serves were too hot to handle for the home team. Myneni hardly lost a point on his serve and was also superb at the net also.
The Indian players' returns were also better as several times Bhambri sent down winners between the two Pakistani players.
The 28-year-old Poonacha was then asked to play the dead fourth rubber against Muhammad Shoaib, who he beat 6-3 6-4. The fifth match was not played.
Shoaib struggled with his serve but had a terrific backhand. Realising Shoaib's strong point, Niki did not feed many balls to his backhand and comfortably logged the win. Shoaib also struggled to contain unforced errors, giving many free points to the Indian.
It was India's eighth win in as many meetings in the event, dubbed as World Cup of tennis and now it will compete in World Group I in September this year while Pakistan will stay in Group II.
The Indian team adapted well to the tough conditions and the heavy security around them, not letting the restrictions on their movement have an adverse impact on them.
The Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) did well in creating a safety net around the players, as several agencies worked in tandem to ensure that the historic tie went without any untoward incidents.
"The organisation was spot on. All the arrangements were good. We thank Pakistan Tennis Federation for being wonderful hosts," India captain Zeeshan Ali said.
Bhambri and Myneni had a tight grip over the contest from the beginning. They broke Aqeel in the first and fifth games for a commanding 4-1 lead. In game one, Aqeel hit a backhand long and wide to be down two breakpoints. While Myneni hit wide on first, he found and easy volley winner on Aqeel's feeble return.
The Pakistani stalwart again dropped serve in game five. his overheas flat smash flew over the baseline at 30-all and Bhambri sent down a crushing forehand winner between the two players to close the game.
Murtaza went down by three set points in game seven but saved all as the two players finally got some rhythm.
Bhambri came out to serve out the set and did with ease as Murtaza could not return a widish serve from the Indian on the first set point.
Aqeel finally began to hold his serve. The second set was 5-5 on serve. In between Murtaza saved three break chances in game five. It boiled down to a tie-breaker in which a few errors from the Indians got the Pakstanis ahead 4-2.
However, Bhambri and Myneni ensured that there was no twist in the tale. They quickly made it 5-5 as Aqeel and Murtaza lacked coordination.
Aqeel double faulted at match point.
VIDEO | Davis Cup 2024: "We were fortunate that we won this game and I think we played overall a good game," says tennis player Saketh Myneni after India seal place in World Group I, take unassailable 3-0 lead against Pakistan.
(Full video available on PTI Videos -… pic.twitter.com/U4R8gH4att
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Jharkhand horror: Man kills live-in partner, chops body into 40 pieces
Ranchi (PTI): A 25-year-old man, who works as a butcher, allegedly strangled to death his live-in partner and chopped her body into 40 to 50 pieces in a forested area in Jharkhand’s Khunti district, police said on Wednesday.
The accused, identified as Naresh Bhengra, was arrested.
The matter came to light after around a fortnight after the killing when a stray dog was found with human body parts near Jordag village in Jariagarh police station on November 24.
Bhengra was in a live-in relationship with the deceased, a 24-year-old woman also from Khunti district, in Tamil Nadu for the past couple of years. Sometime back, he returned to Jharkhand, got married to another woman without telling his partner anything and went back to the southern state without his wife to join her.
"The brutal incident occurred on November 8 when they reached Khunti as the accused who had married another woman did not wish to take her home. Instead, he took her to a forest near his house at Jordag village in Jariagarh police station and chopped the body into pieces. The man has been arrested," Khunti Superintendent of Police Aman Kumar told PTI.
Inspector Ashok Singh who investigated the case said the man worked in a butcher shop in Tamil Nadu and was expert in slicing chicken.
“He admitted chopping the body parts of the woman into 40 to 50 pieces before leaving those in the forest for wild animals to feast on. The police recovered several parts on November 24 after a dog in the area was seen with a hand," Singh told PTI.
Singh said that the woman, who was unaware of his marriage, pressured him to return to Khunti. After reaching Ranchi, they boarded a train on November 24 and headed to the man's village.
"Under a plan, the man took her to Khunti in an autorickshaw near his home and asked her to wait. He returned with sharp weapons and strangulated her with her dupatta after raping her. He then cut the body into 40 to 50 pieces and left for his home to live with his wife," Singh said.
The woman, however, had informed her mother that she had boarded a train and would be living with her partner, the police officer said.
Following the recovery of body parts, a bag was also found in the forest with the murdered woman's belongings including her Aadhaar card. The mother of the woman was called at the spot and she identified her daughter's belongings.
"The mother suspected the man behind the crime who after being nabbed by the police admitted to chopping the woman into pieces," the official added.
The incident has sent shockwaves among people in the region, with the Shraddha Walker murder case of 2022 still fresh in their memory.
Walker was killed by her live-in partner who chopped her body into pieces before dumping them in the jungle in South Delhi’s Mehrauli.
