So it’s India v Pakistan. Much as everyone in Asia would have wished it were for a place in the final, we have to be realistic. There are a lot of sides in the world now with brilliant individuals and teamwork. The great Asian rivals have been over-taken.

We have to reserve judgement on whether the introduction of European coaches will help India and Pakistan back to the top of the ladder. It is certainly far too early to pass judgement on India’s first foreign coach Gerhard Rach.

You do need luck at all levels of sport and India have not had much of that but then again, other factors help to produce that luck. It was not good fortune for India’s opponents that saw them score late goals that cost India valuable points. India displayed a distressing vulnerability towards the end of their last three games.

Undoubtedly India are not as fit as the three European teams and Australia who have reached the semi-finals. This team has looked very tired in the high temperatures and humidity. As the players have tired, inevitably they have fallen into their bad old ways. Too often Indian players have lost possession or failed to find their target with passes, usually pushing instead of hitting the ball. Turn-over is costly.

Rach did not have time to rectify the fitness problem. It means a complete change of attitude towards preparation in India. That has to start happening when this Olympics is over.

An unlucky spate of injuries has been a major contribution to the key players having to be over-played. At least the prospects for the Pakistan game are better. Deepak Thakur could have been risked against Argentina last night but will take his place tomorrow. Goalkeeper Adrian D’Souza is expected to fit even though he was carried off with a knee injury on Monday.

It is a must win game for India in order to stay in the world’s top six. The Indian players will not need any mortification. Pakistan have been under a European coach longer than India and appear to have blended better to a European influence. They went much closer to a semi final place than India despite their 4-0 defeat by Spain, the team shaping like possible champions.

No side has scored more goals than Pakistan who have averaged about four a game and thrashed Great Britain 8-2 in their last outing. They are not just converting corners but stringing passes together, like India used to do, to score field goals.

It is just as well that the Indian defence has been playing well whatever Dhanraj Pillay may have said in his asides. The two Tirkey’s, in particular, have done extremely well as has young Harpal. And another plus for India has been their defence of corners, which has been as good as anyone’s.

Talking of Pillay and his critical comments and the stories circulating here of other players’ comments, one has to say that it would not happen in other countries during an Olympics. The players should not need to be told to shut up. They should all be pulling together. There does seem to be some division among the Indian players, between the old and new, but perhaps we have come to expect that. Pillay, as a player, has done extremely well for a person of his advancing age. Things still happen when he is on the field and he set up both goals against Argentina.