After Spaniard Jose Brasa took over the coaching reigns, his team India’s first International tour to Spain flashes across the mind on the eve of both teams meeting on the Dhyan Chand stadium turf here today.
This was five days of hockey in Spain in which three internationals were planned, but only two could be staged due to an extraordinary development.
In the first match, with the full side on full flow, touring Indians were shocked rudely.
Rampaging hosts pumped in six goals at half time, leaving Indian defence in shatters.
They also scored two more in the next half before Hari Prasad and Rajpal scored a goal apiece.
The duo’s strike came when Spaniards lost the services of Santi Freixa, one of the top stars of contemporary hockey.
In a mad rush, someone still called it a tackle, colt PR Sreejesh broke Santi Freixa’s World Cup dream. The injury he sustained kept him out in the second half — and then even now.
The second Test scheduled was cancelled, instead a friendly for each 25-minute half was played, which technically India won (1-0).
Then, on 10th August, without their stars on the line, the Second Test was played which India lost 4-5.
Is Spain so strong that it can pump 8 goals in a match? May be or not, we never know, but the fact to be considered here was Jose was also experimenting.
Serious hockey followers know, its Australia and Holland, who have been India’s nemesis on the synthetic turf and the same cannot be said of Germany or Spain.
Even when Spain reached the finals of one of the recent Olympics, India defeated them in its lost pool match. So also at Kuala Lumpur World Cup, its India – that was going through a classic phase of underperformance – dented them for a heartwarming 3-0 win.
The dramatic turn for Spain in the context of India came about after Maurit Hendrics took over the reigns.
Between 2004 and 2008, till the Dutch import was in charge of Spain, this country for the first time in its long hockey history, have become ‘invincible’ for India.
Hendrik’s Spain played two matches, when we also technically had a foreign coach in Gerrard Rach. The scores of those tests were identical 3-2, each team winning one.
The rest test of course came within six days, when both the teams met in the Champions Trophy across the border. India was there as Australia pulled out of Lahore Champions Trophy.
In their first match at Lahore Champions trophy, Spain whitewashed India 0-4. That’s it.
But as the results 80s and 90s would vouchsafe, Spain have not been that formidable to India.
Now in the absence of couple of stars including Santi Freixa, India has a chance to repeat Pakistan’s feat.
Jose Brasa, on the other day, said in a lighter vein. “We defeated Pakistan, Pakistan now defeated Spain. So we should…”.
Sports do not work on these lines. And are occasions it did work too. Hope this is the case today.