Hockey 9s India Review: Women impress, Men disappoint

Only a couple of days before the Hockey 9s started in Perth, Indian men pumped in three goals in the first 10 minutes against New Zealand in an another stadium 50 Kms away.

That was a good match in the run up to the Hockey 9s. The Kiwis went on to equalize 3-3 in the second half, and score another before the match could just end in favour of India 5-4. Three of the four goals of the Kiwis came in in the second half alone.

That match showed, in enough measure, both Indian men’s strengths and weaknesses in the normal and well-settled 11 Vs 11 format.

India has scoring ability. However, while it goes on top gear to score, it does not have much in its arsenal to plug the holes in the defense so as to safeguard the goals scored so painstakingly. The plug was loose at Rockingham.

It showed up a couple of days later.

New Zealand, a side that is improving its rating each passing day, took a revenge of sort with India in their Hockey 9s opener.

It piled goals so quickly that India’s 3 goals stood still half way.

The story was no different with other strong team in the fray, Australia, and in the bronze medal match too.

India, in the hockey 9s at least, did not show, or could no show , it has improved in the area it avowedly works of late – attacking hockey; no use in attacking if it won’t give you any goals than you are ordinarily scoring, or capable of.

That India gave away double the number of goals than it could strike, showed indubtibly that its plan of reverting to so-called Asian style of hockey is long way to go.

That their forwards are still hitting side netting or posts than any other team in Perth, a nauseating routing even when the goalmouth was narrower than it was in Hockey 9s, is another area of concern.

Our men also did not show enough temperament, getting cards for questioning, two goals were scored against when we were one man down.

Except the fact that India played against the teams ranked above it in the FIH Ranking chart, there are no other signs against which one can be pleased with.

On the other hand, be it the run up Tests or in the Hockey 9s the girls did well. They showed increasingly encouraging signs.

I feel they were tactically sound, and don’t’ hold the ball too long, spread out to use the entire field. Despite the absence of two stalwarts, Joydeep Kaur and Jasdeep Kaur for major parts, neither did they fail to score nor concede easily.

PR Sreejesh may have earned more name for himself what with stopping a 25-yard stroke, but his conterpart Yogita Bali was never a push over. She was as good as any best goalie here.

Its a matter of conjecture how much different the team would have had, had Sandeep Singh not injured. He was supposed to play as a forward, and as such the rules do not give his patented drag-flicks any scope. VR Raghunath, as a defender was very prominent, even showed up upfront often.

Men’s score tenders Danish, Yuvraj, Tushar were patchy, while Vandana Katariya and Soundarya Yandala showed a remarkable consistency, some of the goal set up by the former and made us of by the latter are memorable. Men does not show similar consistency.

By and large, there is much improvement on women’s side, long after MK Kaushik left the scene, the men, yes, does not impress. This view would be similar even if they would have won the inconsequential bronze.