The Hindu:

Chennai: Amidst a welter of confusion, contradiction and avoidable contortions, enough to disturb the level of concentration, the national hockey team takes on England in a three-Test series on Wednesday at Birmingham.

Nothing was smooth before the departure; what with the serious eye injury leaving out the tested and tried goal-keeper, Baljit Singh, of the tour, the fiasco at the departure lounge in Pune and the consequent polemics, the outburst, righteous though, of the new foreign coach over the indifference of SAI officials, all forking signs of an uneasy scenario. Added to this was the Kolkata court directive to Hockey India over the sponsor’s logo.

It is not difficult to fathom the distraction the player has been subjected to on the eve of a very significant tour. The first leg of the four-nation sojourn will set the tempo.

A poor show in England, which is brimming with confidence after outlasting the European champion, the Netherlands, in a recent match, will be a disaster.

Premature

Coach Jose Brasa and his seasoned team have a lot at stake. The new coach faces a credibility test to establish his credentials as well as his new coaching methods. At the moment, it is premature to assess his approach or read how well the players have assimilated his level of thinking.

Seasoned as many of them are, it should not take much time for them to grasp the nuances of the Spaniard’s plan and tactics.

A superficial reading of his training methods from pieces of information collected points towards a defensive mode initially giving the mid-field enormous scope.

As emphasised by everyone who mattered, the difficulty in filling the void by Baljit Singh at the goal is no exaggeration.

Sreejesh is Hobson’s choice as the replacement. Olympian Adrain D’Souza has to take a heavy load.

He has to face power and precision of some of the best strikers in the sport in Europe. England’s James Tindell and Matt Daly can give the defence a harrowing time.

Goal-keeper coach, Romeo James, faces a challenge in getting Sreejesh into shape within quick time to play a supporting role.

The team is without the stalwart defender, Dilip Tirkey. Skipper Sandeep and Raghunath, both fierce hitters in penalty corners, are the deep defenders. But in Brasa’s scheme deep defenders do not seem to be the main strength.

There are as many as eight mid-fielders with a clutch of experienced and expert players like Ignace Tirkey, Vikram Pillay, Gurbaj Singh and Prabodh Tirkey.

Focus will also be on Mahadik, whose return to the national team rightly triggered a debate.

Prabhjot Singh will continue to be the fulcrum of the frontline which has an impressive mix of youth, proficiency and experience. However, Brasa’s blend for the first Test remains to be seen.

India should receive overwhelming support from the local expatriates who are a legion in the region. One hopes India lives up to its reputation of dishing out a connoisseur’s fare regardless of the outcome.