Muscat show gives India hope
RESURGENCE? After Asian Games heartbreak, Asian Champions Trophy success has put India back on track
NEWDELHI: Like everything else in Indian hockey, the men’s team too underwent a roller-coaster ride in 2018 in the build-up to the World Cup in Bhubaneswar.
India started the year with the tour of New Zealand in January where they played two separate invitational tournaments with the same teams — New Zealand, Belgium and Japan — in Tauranga and Hamilton.
Coached by Dutchman Sjoerd Marijne and led by Manpreet Singh, the team reached both the finals, losing narrowly to Belgium.
In fact, Belgium was the only team India lost to in the eight matches they played.
A month later, India took part in what was their first major tournament of the year — the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh. Veteran Sardar Singh returned as skipper after being ignored in the last few tournaments and was handed a young and inexperienced team to take on the likes of world champions Australia and Olympic gold medallists Argentina.
DISMAL SHOW
India performed dismally, winning only two of six matches and finishing fifth out of six teams. Sardar’s reputation was dented, that too in the twilight of his career, when he was struggling to keep his place amidst problems with Marijne, which he later revealed.
In April, India travelled Down Under, this time under Manpreet and without Sardar, to take part in the Commonwealth Games. The Gold Coast Games proved to be a debacle as India returned without a medal after finishing runners-up to Australia in the last two editions.
The performance cost Marijne his job in one of the most bizarre decisions taken in Indian hockey for years. While the Dutchman returned to coach the women’s team, the then women’s coach, Harendra, was made the men’s team coach in a swap. In the bronze play-offs against England, Marijne’s team had lost 1-2 and Harendra’s women’s side 0-6.
TURNAROUND
Harendra got only a month and three weeks to turn things around at the Champions Trophy in Breda. Soon after, PR Sreejesh, who got injured in 2017, was brought back and made captain and drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh was dropped. Sardar also made a return.
India took off by thrashing rivals Pakistan 4-0 before stunning reigning Olympic champions Argentina. They almost held Australia before the world champions edged ahead 3-2. India then drew against Belgium and Netherlands to qualify for the final for the second successive time.
India fought hard against Australia in the final but lost in the penalty shootout to settle for silver, equalling their best ever performance in the tournament. The silver in Breda was possibly the finest hour for Indian hockey in 2018 yet given the format, the importance and the level of competition. Harendra’s innings had begun brilliantly.
India then wiped out Commonwealth Games silver medallists New Zealand 3-0 in a bilateral Test series in Bengaluru.
ASIAN GAMES DEBACLE
The next test for India was to defend the Asian Games crown. Penalty corner specialist Rupinder was brought back and India smashed every opposition in Jakarta, scoring 76 goals while conceding three during the group stage.
However, a poor semi-final against Malaysia saw them go down in sudden death. India salvaged a bronze by beating Pakistan but that did not satisfy the coach. “The three minutes we switched off (vs Malaysia) really hurt us,” said Harendra.
But the biggest news thereafter was Sardar announcing his retirement.
Tired of frequent inclusions and exclusions, the backbone of Indian hockey for almost a decade called it quits. The Asian Games heartbreak also cost Sreejesh his post as Manpreet returned as captain for the Asian Champions Trophy.
MUSCAT SUCCESS
The defending champions finally finished on top for the first time in
2018, returning unbeaten from Muscat, winning five games and drawing one.
The final against Pakistan was abandoned because of rain and the teams were declared joint winners. The performance came at the right time to boost the team’s confidence ahead of the World Cup. A 23-day camp in November has also prepared the team to take on the best when the quadrennial event begins with India taking on South Africa in the opener on November 28.