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After London show, India can look to Rio with confidence
MUMBAI: A 0-8 thrashing at the 2010 Commonwealth Games final in New Delhi, 0-4 at the 2014 CWG final, 0-4 at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup final in 2016 and a 2-6 debacle
MUMBAI: A 0-8 thrashing at the 2010 Commonwealth Games final in New Delhi, 0-4 at the 2014 CWG final, 0-4 at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup final in 2016 and a 2-6 debacle at the 2015 Hockey World League semifinals at Antwerp. India have been dominated by Australia in recent times.
On Friday, Roelant Oltmans’ side matched the Aussies, and even bettered them in some aspects to hold them goalless in regulation time in the Champions Trophy final in London.
India lost 1-3 in the shootout — SK Uthappa, SV Sunil and Surender Kumar failed to convert, and India had to settle for silver.
Oltmans and his boys can feel proud of the performance against a team that has intimidated them in recent times. Actually, it was India’s best performance in Champions Trophy, bettering the bronze in 1982.
The silver came in India’s first final at a world-level event after the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow where India won their eighth and last gold.
Credit goes to Oltmans and the selectors for putting faith in a young squad as they rested regular skipper Sardar Singh, forward Ramandeep Singh and defender Rupinderpal Singh, among others. Friday’s performance shows that the reserves have it in them to push the seniors.
Though the Indian attack worked superbly in the preliminary stages, defence again was their undoing as they conceded 11 goals to 10 scored. They had lost 2-4 to Australia in the league match and there was apprehension they could be swept aside again.
However, the Indians looked transformed in the final. They put up a spirited display, defended superbly and dominated the reigning world and Hockey World League champions. They enjoyed possession for long periods, counter-attacked in numbers and did not allow the Aussies to intimidate them. Though the failure to convert five penalty corners will rankle for some time, the defence led by goalkeeper PR Sreejesh and VR Raghunath was like a wall that repulsed the Kookaburras repeatedly. With Birendra Lakra set to return soon, things should get better.
This leaves Oltmans with a headache when he sits down to decide his team’s composition for the Rio Olympics.
Should he bring back Rupinder or go ahead with the young Harmanpreet Singh? Stick with Nikkin Thimmaiah, SV Sunil and Akashdeep Singh or give another chance to the experienced but profligate forward Ramandeep Singh?
If O lt mans gets the right combination and his players manage to replica te their Champions Trophy performance at Rio, India could be a serious medal contender for the first time after 1980.
