K. ARUMUGAM
Its an unforgettable, if not worst, day for Indian hockey fans. The FIH Proleague host Belgium handed out one its recent heaviest defeats. A couple of hours after women went down 1-5, our men dug into chrysalis of darkness with a 3-6 humiliation. Interestingly, India was not looking as bad as it turned out to be ultimately, was seen valiantly fighting. Women led 1-0 from 5th to 36th minute, till hell broke out early in the third quarter. Men also shown enough grit, coming back to level 2-2 from 0-2. What went wrong then, especially in the last quarters where both Indian teams turned out to be sitting ducks.
Similarity is striking. Both Indian men and women conceded penalty corner to Belgium exactly at 13th seconds from start. It told perhaps the intention of the hosts, to go all out ab initio. While women did guard their citadel, men went down in the repeat penalty corner that came after Belgium’s video referral.
At Antwerp, where India once won three straight knock – out matches — quarterfinal, semifinal and final in an Olympics– caved in the last quarter, conceding four goals to set another historical low. The Belgium rout of both men and women must baffle everyone, not just the defeat but the manner it was.
Historic low?
Not always do India get to play seven matches in tournaments, those days of Olympics, World Cup and Champions Trophies are with cross overs and early knock outs in these genre of competitions.
At London 13 years ago, India lost six matches in trot to end last in a field of 12. Today saw the record broken. India has lost seven continuous matches with today’s 3-6 rout. Is it the same team that won bronze at Paris. Yes the core is.
India suffered mostly in the last quarter. Modrn hockey is all about last spells. Matches are won or lost in the last couple of minutes. Indian teams at Antwerp were not raw ones, experienced, always in the top notch brackets, meaning they know what it takes to close in a match and how to win even the difficult matches.
How could all of a sudden the team take a dip in form? Explanations lie in inconsistency, poor defence, lack of alternative to Harmanpreet, who was injured three matches ago, inability to control pace of the team at midfield etc etc. What is worrying of course is wasting penalty corners but also giving away too many in the last spells.
However, it is pertinent to look at the sequence of matches India played in the ongoing FIH Proleague. Easy looking teams, ranked below were in the first phase when it was played at home, BBSR. Now, except of course Argentina, India faced formidable teams like Belgium, The Netherlands, Australia. Contests were expected to be intense and these were.
Indian defence including goalkeepers did not do well.
Suraj Karkera, in particular was in awe of the situations, so also Krishan Pathak. Both are in the super league in the absence of towering personality of PR Sreejesh.
Indian hockey however has to introspect impassionate way and scientifically, to understand where it went wrong.
Is it team selection? Is it falling fitness levels? Is it fatigue?
Million dollar questions, in deed.