CT 2012: India makes a winning start at Melbourne

Making use of the god-send opportunity of getting ‘invitation entry’ from the global body, FIH, India today made its day at the opening day of the Melbourne Champions Trophy.

Despite playing a dull and weary first half, India pumped in a brace in the next session to add to the first half goal of Danish Mujtafa to see off the fresh English challenge at 3-1.
Both teams were tied at 1-1 at half time.

An electric goal from Yuvraj Walmiki, who missed out the Olympic number by a niggling injury, led to the enhanced Indian challenge, and then helped by a great feed of Sardar Singh, ever alert Baljit Singh Chandi enlarged the lead in the last minutes in the set piece drill, to take the match away from England.

India would not have qualified for the Champions Trophy but for the change in the format. Till recently, Champions Trophies were an annual tournament with top five teams of the world joining winner of the Champions Challenge tournament.

However, in order to get India and to some extent Pakistan back into the top zone, the FIH changed the format, increased the field from six to eight, and then the host and the FIH reserved the right to invite two teams of their choice.

India did not qualify on merit after 1995 after it finished fifth at Sydney World Cup. By winning the 2001 Champions Challenge, India came back into the CT fold, and played it four years though in between it played once due to Australia pulling out of Lahore number.

India was of CT reach since it hosted the event in 2005 and finished last.

India, which finished last at the recent Olympics and is languishing at 13 in the world ranking, got the FIH invitation for the Melbourne number, which it of course made use of by winning the first match.

India went in to the champions trophy on a somber note after finishing last at the Super Series Hockey 9s in Perth last week. India also dropped Tushar Khandkar, Shivendra Singh and many other proven but ageing stars for the campaign, which is the first international after the London fiasco.