A well equipped team to defend title

S. Thyagarajan

Chennai: An amalgam of experience and expertise provide India the edge in the Asia Cup hockey championship at Kuantan from May 9 to 16.

In the wake of the buoyancy from the Azlan Shah Trophy triumph, the Indian team is palpably strengthened by the induction of four players who missed last month’s trip to Ipoh.

Raghunath, Vikram Pillay, Rajpal Singh and Hari Prasad significantly enhance the profile and power.

There is better balance in every layer, with the frontline acquiring an adequate measure of sharpness by the inclusion of Rajpal and Hari Prasad for Shivendra Singh and Bharath Chikkara.
Lot at stake

Granting that India does not face the compulsion of a win for making it to the World Cup, being the host for the Delhi edition, the defence of the cup, won in 2004 and 2007, has a lot at stake.

There is a grey area about the World Cup, what with FIH stipulating an October deadline to untie the knots that Indian hockey has got enmeshed in now.

So a victory will put to rest apprehensions over India’s place in the World Cup even if the event, in a sad development, slips out of the country.

Encouraging as the results have been in recent months, the players exude enormous confidence in their approach work.

True, certain frailties remain to continue to haunt the coaches there is a greater realisation of the need to restoring the image of the country.

There is logic in the observations for not reading too much into the success at Ipoh. But as an instrument to stoking the confidence level, it was undoubtedly a significant step.

The present composition is perhaps the best that can be gleaned at this point of time.

There is no necessity to look beyond the duo of Baljit Singh and Adrian D’Souza, though one must regret that the latter does not get as many as chances he deserves to be under the bar.
Stress factor

The stress factor on Baljit Singh is very high although he faces the challenges with an indomitable will.

As a second drag flicker, Raghunath, amplifies the area of variety in this vital sector.

While captain Sandeep Singh is fulfilling the norms to be regarded as an outstanding flicker in contemporary hockey, the support from Raghunath, not to speak of the solidity by Dilip Tirkey — most capped player in the game today at 408 internationals — contributes to strengthening the fissures in the defence line.

Vikram Pillay is bound to accentuate the vibrancy of the mid-field play that Sardar Singh failed to do at Ipoh.

Gurbaj Singh and Prabodh Tirkey, with Sardar Singh, Vinay and Ajitesh Rai lending a helping hand the mid-field can really play a dominant part.

It is a pity that the team management is unable to create a slot for Ignace Tirkey whose ingenuity can transform the whole texture of a match.

Mere dependence on Sandeep’s penalty strikes dent the image of the frontline, and certainly the calibre of players like Prabhjot Singh and Arjun Halappa.

At Ipoh, the forwards fumbled repeatedly what with Shivendra failing to deflect in even one long ball from the accurate strikes by Sandeep or Tirkey.

This is one point the coaches should pay attention too. Anyone of the four–Rajpal, Prabhjot, Halappa and Tushar-can cause repeated alarms to the defence and to the goal-keeper.

There must be absolute perfection and co-ordination in the execution and finish of this mode which will be a delight to the beholder.

Apart from guidance of the coaching team consisting of Harendra, Ramandeep and Romeo James, the players have the benefit of imbibing a few tricks from Dhanraj Pillay who goes again as the manager.

That he has a wealth of experience and a morale booster par excellence can never be questioned. And he has happy memories of leading the team in 2003 at Kuala Lumpur.

Courtesy: The Hindu