Month: February 2025

New Delhi: India made an impressive start to their Davis Cup 2025 campaign, taking a commanding 2-0 lead over Togo on the opening day of the World Group I Playoffs at the DLTA Complex in New Delhi. Mukund Sasikumar and Ramkumar Ramanathan each triumphed in straight sets in their singles matches, putting India within reach of a victory.

Mukund set the tone with an authoritative performance in the first match, defeating Liova Ajavon to give India a 1-0 advantage. Ramkumar then doubled the lead, securing a comfortable win over Thomas Setodji. The Indian fans at the DLTA Complex cheered passionately, waving tricolour flags and creating an electric atmosphere that spurred the players on.

In the opening match, Mukund played with confidence, taking the first game with ease. However, Ajavon quickly responded to level the score, setting up a tight contest. The momentum shifted in Mukund’s favor in the third game when he saved a crucial break point before breaking Ajavon’s serve. With the pressure on Ajavon, Mukund won the first set 6-2 and continued his dominance in the second, storming to a 4-0 lead before clinching the set 6-1 to win the match.

After a brief break, Ramkumar took to the court, quickly asserting his dominance over Setodji. His powerful forehands and aggressive play left Setodji struggling to stay in the match. Ramkumar cruised through the first set with a dominant 6-0 scoreline. Setodji fought back in the second set, claiming two games, but Ramkumar’s relentless consistency and precise serves sealed a 6-0, 6-2 victory, extending India’s lead.

India’s non-playing captain Rohit Rajpal expressed his satisfaction with the day’s results, praising the players for sticking to the game plan and delivering excellent tennis. He emphasized the need to stay focused as the tie was far from over and urged the team to finish strong on the following day.

“Both the boys played fantastic today. I’m very happy that they executed our plan so well,” Rajpal said. “It may have looked easy, but they followed through on our strategy perfectly. It wasn’t as easy as it seemed, but they made it look that way.”

Day two of the tie will see N Sriram Balaji and Rithvik Bollipalli take on Setodji and Padio Isak in the doubles match. Mukund and Ramkumar will return to the court for their remaining singles encounters, with Mukund set to face Setodji and Ramkumar taking on Ajavon.

The Davis Cup 2025 World Group I Playoffs are being broadcast live on Doordarshan Sports, and fans can also watch the matches in person at the DLTA Complex with free entry.

Day 1 Round Up
Mukund Sasikumar (IND) bt Liova Ajavon (TOG) 6-2, 6-1
Ramkumar Ramanathan (IND) bt Thomas Setodji (TOG) 6-0, 6-2

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New Delhi: Nathan Lyon enjoyed an outstanding performance in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle, making a significant mark in the World Test Championship (WTC) history. After taking three wickets in the first innings, Lyon added four more in the second innings, cementing his place as a record breaker. The Australian spinner surpassed his teammate Pat Cummins to become the leading wicket-taker in the WTC, achieving the remarkable feat of becoming the first bowler to take over 200 wickets in the tournament’s history. Lyon now boasts 203 wickets from 49 matches, while Pat Cummins follows closely with 200 wickets in 47 matches. India’s Ravichandran Ashwin, who recently retired during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, ranks third with 195 wickets.

Most Wickets In WTC

• Nathan Lyon: 203*
• Pat Cummins: 200
• R Ashwin: 195
• Mitchell Starc: 168
• Jasprit Bumrah: 156

Additionally, Lyon surpassed Ashwin in the list of most wickets on Sri Lankan soil. Ashwin had taken 38 Test wickets in Sri Lanka, but Lyon moved past him after dismissing Prabhath Jayasuriya, claiming his fourth wicket of Sri Lanka’s second innings. Lyon now stands at 39 wickets, while Ashwin, along with Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal, holds 38 wickets.

Most Wickets in Sri Lanka (Test Cricket)

• Nathan Lyon (Australia): 39*
• Ravichandran Ashwin (India): 38
• Saeed Ajmal (Pakistan): 38
• Shane Warne (Australia): 37
• Yasir Shah (Pakistan): 33

Australia continued their dominance in Test cricket, thrashing Sri Lanka by an innings and 242 runs. Lyon, along with Matthew Kuhnemann, shared 16 wickets across the two innings as Sri Lanka was bowled out for 165 and 247. Australia had posted a massive 654/6 in their first innings, propelled by Usman Khawaja’s double century and centuries from Steve Smith and Jos Inglis. This dominant win further solidified Australia’s position at the top of the WTC table. Having already qualified for the WTC final, Australia will face South Africa at Lord’s for the coveted title.

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