The continuing marketing campaign of the FIH Professional League has thrown up options and issues for the Indian males’s hockey workforce. After the Tokyo Olympics, coach Graham Reid has been on an experimental spree with the bigger image – Asian Video games later this yr and World Cup in 2023 – in thoughts.
A brand new-look assault, which is taking form, has been among the many targets, scoring 41 in eight matches, and taking the workforce over the road. The skilled Mandeep Singh stays the chief in assault with the fresh-faces Abhishek and Sukhjeet Singh exhibiting promise. The emergence of defender Jugraj Singh, who made his debut throughout the match and scoring two penalty corners in opposition to Argentina, instead drag-flicker within the workforce to Harmanpreet Singh, bodes properly after its struggles from penalty corners in current video games.
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However a largely settled and skilled defence has been porous, conceding 23 in return. Turnover in possession has usually left it uncovered on the again and defensive errors has led to the facet letting in 14 targets within the final 4 matches.
Reid’s males shall be hoping to squash some doubts and switch in a few convincing performances when it hosts England in a two-legged tie on the Kalinga Stadium on Saturday and Sunday.
Trying to enhance
Vice-captain and defender Harmanpreet careworn on the necessity for precision in assault and extra self-discipline on the again. He mentioned, “Our foremost focus is to make the workforce stronger match by match. We're studying lots about our weaknesses and strengths. We have to enhance our ending and create extra penalty corners. The choice making wants to enhance. The defenders must keep away from conceding penalty corners and sort out exterior the circle.”
After a final minute winner in opposition to Argentina final month, India now sits second within the standings and a degree behind Germany.
Whereas Argentina posed a bodily battle over the 2 legs, an experimental England facet will show a special take a look at for the Indian workforce. England, positioned seventh on the desk from 4 matches, comes into the tie on the again of successive defeats in opposition to Argentina in February. Zak Jones, the interim head coach, is eager to make use of the Professional League video games to construct preparation for the house Commonwealth Video games and the World Cup in India.
‘Shut video games’
“We're in an early section of our preparation with new gamers. We're constructing relationships and mixture performs, so these video games are essential for us to construct momentum to the Commonwealth Video games,” mentioned Jones.
Jones expects tightly fought contests over the weekend in opposition to a skilful Indian facet.
“A number of prime stage video games are determined by small margins. They had been shut video games in opposition to Spain and Argentina [for us]. I see a variety of similarities between how Argentina and India play. They've skilful one-v-one gamers and have some good organisation of their play,” he mentioned.
