WSH: World XI thrash India XI 7-2

Gaurav Kanthwal

CHANDIGARH: Apart from World XI coach Jose Brasa landing a peck on India XI skipper Prabhjot Singh’s cheek there was nothing much to write home about the World Series Hockey exhibition match at Sector 42 Hockey Stadium on Tuesday.

The final result, 7-2 in favour of World XI, only testified to the insipid, one-sided match that failed to draw crowds on a cold foggy evening here. The likes of Dhanraj Pillay, Prabhjot, Deepak Thakur, Baljit Singh merely looked like shadows of their glorious past. The World XI players were a shade better and that showed in the final result.

With WSH getting postponed for two months, the sense of immediacy was missing in the match but players and coaches described it as “blessing in disguise”. Mainly for two reasons – it will supposedly give enough time to star players to come on board and the old hands may shake off the rust and be ready for intense action just in time.