Hungry, new-look Team India set to kick off qualifiers

Biswajyoti Brahma, TNN

NEW DELHI: Still tortured by their failure to qualify for the Beijing Olympics four years ago, a much-chastened — and hopefully, much-improved — Indian team will hit the Major Dhayanchand National Stadium turf in search of some redemption from Saturday.

Having to see the team that won Olympic gold a record eight times, fight it out with ‘lesser mortals’ of world hockey for a berth in the London Games this summer, takes some getting used to. But then, that’s Indian hockey for you. Bharat Chetri’s team — coached by the affable Aussie Michael Nobbs — prepared late under the stadium lights on Friday for their opening match of the six-nation qualifiers.

The Ground Zero cold — rising and receding at will — may have brought uncertainty similar to the idea that another failure could do irreparable damage to the image of the National Game. But this is a team with a new feel about it. As they buzzed around the empty stadium turf, they banished any such thoughts even as they stolidly ignored the elements.

The comforting thing from India’s point of view is that the stage is set perfectly for them to make it count in their final endeavour to qualify for London. Being played at home and against teams below them in world rankings, there could not be a more promising tide-turner than these qualifiers.

The hosts kick-start their campaign with back to back matches against two of the weakest teams in fray – Singapore and Italy, both replacements of original and more stronger sides United States and Egypt respectively. But that does not give Nobbs and his team a reason to relax ahead of the qualifiers. “You can’t take any team lightly. All are strong here. You have to put up your best show in each game,” the Australian coach has often said whenever his attention was drawn towards the relatively easy-looking task on hand.

Four years back when India went to the qualifiers in Santiago, Chile, they had just one “tough” team to contend with — Great Britain. They beat all others by good margin, but lost to Great Britain in the final, and in the process missed out on getting a berth for Beijing. It wasn’t a bolt from the blue either, for India had failed to learn for previous errors having lost to the same opponents in the league engagement.

This time around, they have a similar-looking field, but that’s where the similarities probably end. Nobbs’ side looks far more assured then the previous one, with the coach literally handpicking each player in consultation with the selectors. The expendables have been done away with.

Under Nobbs, who took over the reins of the national team less than eight months ago, the side has managed to show some purpose in the run up to the qualifiers. The coach has been discreet in the training methods, not revealing what’s in store for the rivals in the qualifiers.

Just a day before the qualifiers, the video cameras were asked to stay away from training. The coach was going to recreate a match-like situation employing all his skills which would be put into use during the tournament. He did not want opponents to get a glimpse of his methods before they were actually applied in matches.

So subtly secretive has Nobbs been that during the recent series against South Africa the team did not go all out, even though they won the series 3-1. It seemed then as if the coach was holding back something deliberately. But whatever was visible so far ensured that the team had a good strike force and a couple of very good keepers to man the post.

The Singapore match on Saturday would likely to witness the team in full bloom and throw an insight as to whether the players have it in them to make it to London.