Rohan Bopanna, who is part of the Indian Davis Cup team, sweated profusely during a training session on Thursday. He said, “If I am sweating and changing my T-shirt during a training session, something is seriously wrong.” This could be a major challenge for the Indian players, who will need to be very fit to compete in such conditions. The severe humidity has turned the Mini Stadium into a ‘mini cauldron’. Bopanna’s teammates know that he does not sweat much, even in hot and humid conditions. In fact, he once played five sets against Brazil in a singles match for four hours in one shirt. However, during a training session in Lucknow, he sweated so much that he had to change his shirt after just half an hour. This is a rare occurrence for Bopanna, and it is a sign that the conditions in Lucknow will be very hot and humid. The air temperature is 33 degrees Celsius, but the humidity makes it feel like 43 degrees Celsius. This is due to the fact that it rained a few days ago, which has increased the moisture in the air. The sun is not harsh, but the humidity is making it extremely difficult for the players. The heat coming off the court is also making the conditions worse. In such tough weather conditions, a player can lose about 2-3 liters of water per hour, along with essential electrolytes like sodium, chloride, potassium, and magnesium. This can lead to dehydration, which can impair performance and increase the risk of heat-related illness. Debeshish Das, the other physio attached to the team, said: “Doing ice bath, set at around 10-12 degrees is required for recovery along with pool recovery work.” Considering the weather, the captains agreed to reschedule the match-timings, delaying it by two hours. On Saturday, the matches will begin at 2 pm instead of 12 noon and on Sunday the matches will begin at 1 pm instead of 11 am. While a two-hour delay is not expected to make much difference, India coach Zeeshan Ali says the decision still makes sense.
