Indian hockey adamantly rooted in the past

The dribble and the dodge continue to be a sub-continental joy. What isn’t is the way India has wrong-footed itself over the years by overdoing what was essentially a shock element.

From the advent of the artificial turf to the rolling substitution and the no-offside rule, every twist international hockey took has come as a blow to India, only because it has been adamant on staying rooted in the past and content with modest results in smaller tournaments.

The rain-hit 1975 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur is distant memory. What’s perhaps more pertinent now is the result in the last three editions — 9th in Utrecht (1998), 10th in Kuala Lumpur (2002) and 11th in Monchengladbach (2006) — a slide that shows where the team stands. India aren’t even the dark horses now.

Where India have gone wrong is not that easily explained. Is it the absence of midfield supremacy? Is it lack of firepower in the attack? Or is it simply lack of guile in the striking circle that may lead to a penalty corner?

It is in fact a combination of all these factors and a mindset that refused to accept or imbibe anything new. Take, for example, the 16-yard hit — the hard whack that portrayed terrific power and very little forethought. It was not until the mid-90s that India actually began realising that it was the easiest way of losing possession. It was replaced by sweep shots between defenders and a slow build-up of attack — an adaptation of the European theory that had already become part of the coaches’ manual decades earlier.

Resistance to change, such as this, has manifested itself in the anachronistic ways on the pitch. It becomes rather stark when one tends to compare what is done at the camps and what is finally seen on the pitch.

Conflict still persists with setpiece drills and instinctive play with the players unable to replicate what they learn at camps. Peripheral vision is still at a premium as forays are still pieced together with an unusually high percentage of forward passes when a pass back or two would have resulted in a better variety in attack; solo runs replace every plan drawn on paper when confronted with a dour opponent, penalty corners are still a monopoly of the dragflickers even as other teams have struck a healthy balance between direct and indirect conversions while in the defence, India continues to commit the basic of errors without much inclination towards damage control thereafter.

What perhaps has contributed to the downfall is the way camps have been run by the coaches. Whether it is video analysis, team tactics or the level of execution at the camps, hockey tutors have fallen short while implementing their concepts.

Suggestions on shorter camps with intense practice sessions and simulation of fast match situations too have been dismissed with disdain, with the coaches sticking to their view that drills over a long period of time have actually helped the players.

There were a few — Joaquim Carvalho and now, Jose Brasa — who have made attempts to deviate from the norm but the truth has been that neither of them were given enough time to produce results. Carvalho hardly got a chance to regroup after the Olympic qualifier debacle in 2008 while these days, Brasa is being accused of teaching basics to a side that is demanding a lesson or two in tactics.

Brasa may be right in doing so, for the Indians will have to go back to the basics. And, that in itself is a message to all — 34 years after artificial turf did us in in Montreal, we still haven’t learnt our lessons.

What the Indians do right…

1 They still hold the advantage in the circle as the dribble and the dodge help them in one-on-one situations.

2 They have players who can establish midfield supremacy and the forwards who can beat any defence in the world.

3 Penalty corners: Dragflicks

4 Goalkeeping is a strong point. But only as long as Adrian D’Souza is there.

Where they go wrong…

1 Penalty corners: Dragflicks are okay. But indirect conversions are poor. Indians still lack the ability to think on their feet.

2 No plan B in tense situations in the circle. Players resort to solo runs again.

3 Defence tends to slip into errors under pressure. No forethought here again as impetuous attempts at clearances or tackles lead to penalty corners.

4 Lack of peripheral vision. Game is unidimensional at crucial junctures.

5 Conflict still persists with setpiece drills and instinctive play. How well the Indians have managed to blend both only Jose Brasa can say.

6 Accent still on set roles (forwards, defenders etc) despite Brasa’s insistence that they are allrounders.

7 Rolling substitution needs to be a lot more smooth and unrelenting.

8 Goalkeeping… lack of options after Baljit met with an accident.

9 Captaincy and money controversies may have hit morale of team..

10 Not strong in the mind

11 Fitness has improved by leaps and bounds but Indians haven’t shown the presence of mind to conserve energy.

Players to watch:

Matias Vila (Argentina)

Born: July 7, 1979

Position: Midfielder

Internationals: 213

WC Matches: 16

WC Goals: 5

The 32-year-old veteran midfielder has been on Argentine national duty since 1997. Experience, therefore, is his biggest strength besides his swift counter-attacking skills from the midfield. Played a key role in his country’s bronze medal finish at last year’s Champions Trophy. Vila, who is also the team’s skipper, is realistic about their chances at the World Cup. “Of course we shall aim for the gold, but even a classification finish (5 to 8) would be great for us,” Vila, who would be playing his last World Cup, said recently.

Jamie Dwyer (Australia)

Born: March 12, 1979

Position: Forward

Internationals: 228

WC Matches: 15

WC Goals: 8

Few can forget the three-time FIH Men’s Player of the Year and Australia skipper’s match-winning goal during extra-time at Athens 2004, which gave Australia their first-ever Olympic hockey gold. The 32-year-old Queenslander is also a two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist and was also part of the Kookaburra squad that won the bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games. Dwyer, who suffered a career-threatening knee injury in 2003, has time and again said 2010 could be his last year at the game’s highest level.

Prabhjot Singh

Born: August 14, 1980

Position: Forward

Internationals: 212

WC Matches: 9

WC Goals: 3

His off-field ‘leadership’ qualities have been more in the news recently than his on-field showings. Prabhjot, who successfully led the players’ revolt against Hockey India in the days leading up to the World Cup, was coach Jose Brasa’s pick to lead India’s World Cup campaign too, but HI thought otherwise. The wily striker, who rose from the junior ranks, has made a strong comeback after being overlooked for quite a while and has a huge responsibility on his experienced shoulders as far as Indian hopes are concerned.

Oddities at the World Cup

– In a rain-ravaged tournament, a 1975 World Cup match was split over two grounds — a bus ride from each other! Pakistan scored a goal in either half — and on either ground — to beat New Zealand 2-0 in a pool match in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

– Douglas Knapp could be the only player to represent two countries at the World Cup! The player in Canadian colours at the 1986 World Cup was last seen donning a Scotland shirt at the corresponding Inter-Continental Cup, a qualifier for the World Cup, in Spain the previous year. To add to the intrigue, Knapp did not reside in either country. He lived in The Netherlands at the time!

– India and Pakistan have won 11 Olympic gold medals and five World Cup titles between themselves. They spread the gospel of hockey over five continents, converting the uninitiated with their skill and artistry. The roles were reversed, however, at the 1986 World Cup in London, when Pakistan beat India 3-2 in the 11th-12th place play-off, leaving India with the wooden spoon.