‘Time to separate men from boys’: Former players weigh in on India’s chances at HWL Final

The India men’s hockey team is all set to begin their campaign against Australia in the Hockey World League Final on Friday. After a spectacular unbeaten run at the Asia Cup, India head into the tournament high on confidence.

But, in the Asia Cup, India who are ranked 6th in the world, faced lowly ranked teams such as Malaysia, Pakistan, Korea, among others. The HWL final will be a completely different ball game. Grouped in Pool B, they face Australia (ranked two), England (ranked seventh) and Germany (ranked fifth).

India, clearly, have their task cut out for them.

“This a true test for India. Asia Cup the pressure was different because we were the number one team, we were favourites and we were expected to win,” Viren Rasquinha, former Hockey India captain, told The Field. “For HWL we are not the favourites, but at the same time the expectations are very high from the team.”

However, India has the skillset required to go deep into the competition. With the team having the right mix of youth and experience, India can surely prove their mettle on the big stage.

“The more we play against such teams the better it is for Indian hockey,” said former India coach Joaquim Carvalho. “It is not often we get to play with the top teams in the world. Playing with the top teams, you get a view on the areas you need to improve on, if need be. Plus you also learn to play to your strengths as well,” he told The Field.

Australian test

First up for coach Sjoerd Marijne’s wards – Australia. The defending champions will look to make a statement in the opening game itself. What can India expect?

“Australia always go for goal in the opening 10 minutes of the game,” said Rahul Singh, former Olympian. “Their strategy is just that they go for goal. If they get a goal in seven or eight minutes, then they go for another. However, if you hold them for 10 to 15 minutes then you can control the game. Against Australia you have to be careful during the start,”

India have lost to Australia in the Champions Trophy, Azlan Shah and Commonwealth Games in the past few years. But India’s good form means an upset can’t be ruled out. “We have a good team. It is a young team with a proper mix of senior and junior players. I don’t think Australia will be better than us given the way we are playing off late,” Bharat Chettri, former India goalkeeper.

Onus on players to step up

With Marijne putting his faith in the youngsters, there will be pressure on them, given they are going to finally rub shoulders with the best in the world. “It is a good platform for the youngsters to showcase their talent and get a taste of playing with top players from across the globe. They will get experience of playing in major tournaments as well,” said Carvalho.

Against Asian teams, India has proved their dominance. But, against the Europeans, India is yet to get their act together. Consistency is the key for India as they gear up to face the best in the business.

“It is high team we start performing consistently in major international tournaments, which is very important,” said Rasquinha. “This will separate the men from the boys. When you play against Australia, Germany and England, that level of matches back-to-back, then you show your true quality,”

The senior players too will have to put their best put forward. “All eight teams are equally good and you never know who will beat who on their day. You have to back your defense and play. You have to give less short corners and go for the counter-attack,” said Rahul.

Indian hockey is on the upswing again and come Friday, Manpreet Singh and Co will look begin their journey towards dominating on the world stage again. Whether the recent good form is the start of something special or a false dawn, the upcoming days in Bhubaneshwar should provide the answers.