<img title="Non-playing Captain of Indian Davis Cup team, Mahesh Bhupathi during a practice session of the team, ahead of the tie against Uzbekistan. Pic/PTI" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/apr/7Mahesh-Bhupathi.jpg" alt="Non-playing Captain of Indian Davis Cup team, Mahesh Bhupathi during a practice session of the team, ahead of the tie against Uzbekistan. Pic/PTI" />Non-playing Captain of Indian Davis Cup team, Mahesh Bhupathi during a practice session of the team, ahead of the tie against Uzbekistan. Pic/PTI
Bangalore:&nbsp;Mahesh Bhupathi's first official day as non-playing captain of the Indian Davis Cup side coincided with, perhaps, the toughest in his professional career too &mdash; he made the decision to drop <a href="http://www.mid-day.com/articles/leander-paes-form-has-nothing-to-do-with-my-axing-from-davis-cup-team/18144150" target="_blank">Leander Paes</a> from the team.
Are some old wounds still bleeding? Some may think so.&nbsp;"It obviously was a very tough decision. That's why I wanted to wait till the last minute to make a call. I wanted <a href="http://www.mid-day.com/articles/a-new-era-dawns-for-indian-tennis-without-leander-paes/18144151" target="_blank">three singles players and a doubles specialist</a>. Every captain has a different style. I run the team the way I think it should be run and I thought this was the best choice,"&nbsp;said Bhupathi.
Justifying Paes'&nbsp;omission, Bhupathi added:&nbsp;"The conditions at the KSLTA are really fast. So, we are going in with four big servers. All four boys here can serve at 130+ mph and we want to take advantage of that."&nbsp;Paes has just won an ATP tournament in Mexico, but Bhupathi was in no mood to chalk in that factor.&nbsp;"It was not just about serve. Balaji and Bopanna have been playing a lot of sets. Unfortunately for Paes, yesterday was his first day and he played three games before it started raining. Considering, I have two debutants I was not willing to take that risk,"&nbsp;he said.

Mahesh Bhupathi's first official day as non-playing captain of the Indian Davis Cup side coincided with, perhaps, the toughest in his professional career too u00c3u0083u00c2u00a2u00c3u0082u00c2u0080u00c3u0082u00c2u0094 he made the decision to drop Leander Paes from the team

It was a very tough call, says Mahesh 

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Mahesh Bhupathi's first official day as non-playing captain of the Indian Davis Cup side coincided with, perhaps, the toughest in his professional career too &mdash; he made the decision to drop Leander Paes from the team

Bhupathi on Paes Davis Cup axe: It was a very tough call

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