Editorial: Why should India rethink about annual Australia series?

The proposed annual India-Australia men’s hockey test series, which will be telecast Live by Starsports, and is expected to provide entertaining stuff to at least India, needs to be re-evaluated in the light of what has transpired between India and Australia turf encounters in the last one year.

Hockey India, undoubtedly the wealthiest and healthiest national field hockey federation, and Hockey Australia, undoubtedly the national federation that possesses most vibrant of men and women’s hockey teams, have early in the year signed an agreement to host annual test series. The highlight of the proposal is live telecast of all the matches, an exclusive entity reserved only for India-Pak series so far.

Thinking beyond cashing in on traditional India-Pak rivalry is opening new vista, and is welcome.
If the telecast is to create mass interest in hockey to benefit both the staking holding nations, significantly the followers and hard-core fans of India and its vast diaspora, the idea need to look at from different angles above known factors such yet-to-fructify-commercial interest, building national team and providing competitive international exposure to them.

Here only the results of matches involving both the nations come in to play.

India played Australia late last year. After 0-4 rout in the opener, India won the rest 3 matches with close margins (1-0, 2-1, 3-1) at Perth, WA.

With four months from the what was described as ‘historic’ Australia Series Win, India locked horns with them in the last pool match at Ipoh in the Azlan Shah Cup. Before the match, India was almost out of medal race. But it posted what appeared a fluent and fantastic 4-2 win thus making it play for the bronze, which it ultimately won.

The Australian win featured a fluent hat-trick by Nikkin Thimmaiah. He has become an instant hero. He deserved it we thought.

The continuous wins did not count when they met at Antwerp.

It was an one-sided, outplay kind of stuff. India was no where in the game.

For many it may sound a routine drubbing at the hands of Australia.

Yes it is.

Now the question, how do you view the Historic Series Win and Azlan Shah upset?

Cynics always say leading countries don’t play their best teams except FIH tournaments. Coaches, having full authority to plan exposure trips and select teams – obvious case with Oceania and Europe — use every opportunity to experiment.

They don’t seem to play full team, to potential in order conserve energy, conceal strategy etc etc.
Their focus is FIH tournaments and to earn as much ranking points as possible.

Unfortunately, present FIH ranking system is much flawed, narrow in vision, doesn’t consider 90 percent of international matches.

It is though charitable to say the FIH ranking system is in infant stage.

But see some of the fringe things that have happened based on Australia Series and Azlan Shah victories.

StarSports TV, for instant, crested a promo in which Indian stars in a press conference regret their great victories such as against Australia has not won the hearts of Indians.

The promo, aired almost a month in the run up to HWL SF Antwerp, and also during the event, attempts to convey a deep rooted, but perhaps partly misplaced feeling among hockey players and administrators that their achievements did not cut much ice with public at large.

Now in the light of Australian drub — aided by other drubbings of Belgium and Great Britain – the promo looks misconceived.

However, when the stats say that India won 3 out 4 test matches in four months, any TV promo is entitled to take that seriously.

If they are let down, its fault of hockey as a sport, which organizes mis-guiding tournaments, and showcase false laurels with it.

For coaches, every tournament is a guinea pig; but for the paying and seeing fans, struggling organizers, and promoting TV set up every tournament is an entity, viable at that. True at that.

By hiding players and scurrying strategies coaches have a field day at the expense of hockey sport itself.

In the process, knowingly or unknowingly, the results have fooled the fans, and made such events insignificant and unworthy of trust.

If an upset result occurs in FIH tournament it is desirable.

But if everybody will know that the likes of India will be outplayed by the likes of Australia in FIH tournaments (say World Cup and Olympics), for whatever reasons, and the likes of India will win and present equal status in all other tournaments and Tests, the idea of organising any tournament other than FIH ones is rank bad.

Such events lack credibility and trust worthiness. These won’t take off, cannot get eye balls and stands.

Cynicism will set in.

If India wins, public will say ‘but will be beaten in big tournaments. Its not good. Its not going to take hockey anywhere.

Everybody knows the likes of Chris Criellos will convert 3 out of 4 penalty corners in World Cup and World League but not in Tests, HHIL, Azlan Shahs!
Unless attitude of the coaches change, India, always wanting to make hockey a professional sport, will not achieve it.

A test series, as it happens in Cricket or any other professional sport, must be competitive and true reflection of strength and weaknesses of teams.

The battle has to be real the result has to have credibility.
Otherwise India is not going to benefit. Holding the series should not construed by the public as providing laboratory facilities to Australia!

I am not sure how many Australians will see the Series, but definitely bulk of India will be.

Australia’s popular media may not even take note of such Series.

But in India the series will be followed, written and covered. Believing people should not be misled with such soft fixing.

Therefore, its time the Administrators take a relook.

It is necessary for both teams to play any series with all cards open.

There seem some merit in the argument that India might lose badly all the Tests if Aussie play with full force.

Be it.

Let us lose. But there will be improvement after each failure, at least there won’t be false wins.

In other way, such arguments may not sustain as we saw West Indies in the 70s and 80s beating all the cricket nations comprehensively, yet matches were interesting, worth the cost and time, real heroes like Vivs became household names.

That’s real sport.