Need to deliver in key matches: Coach Harendra
Soon after the conclusion of a training session, Harendra Singh did a series of forward rolls on the synthetic turf, much to the amazement of the Indian team. The chief coach got up, raised his hands and acknowledged the cheer from his team at the empty Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
“That was my punishment. We are not allowed to use the word ‘I’, we can only say ‘we’. Anyone using the words ‘main, tu, tujhe, mujhe (me, you, etc.) has to do 10 pushups as punishment but since I have a sore shoulder, I did 10 rolls,” said a smiling Harendra.
Perhaps, it’s this bonhomie between the coach and his team that has resulted in a fairly successful period. Harendra replaced Dutchman Sjoerd Marijne after the Gold Coast CWG debacle in April where India failed to win a medal.
Harendra joining the team had a catalytic effect, as India reached the Champions Trophy final in Breda in June-July. India matched world champions Australia in every aspect of the game but went down 1-3 in the penalty shootout. The team then made a 3-0 sweep over CWG silver medallists New Zealand in the bilateral series at Bengaluru before the Asian Games test in August-September. Defending champions India hammered every opposition in the pool stage in Jakarta to top their group and enter the semi-finals as favourites.
However, the inexplicable happened and India lost another penalty shootout, this time to Malaysia with forward SV Sunil missing two chances. As a consolation, India picked up a bronze by beating Pakistan 2-1.
Harendra was not amused. “When it matters most, we have to put our best foot forward. During the Champions Trophy, we should have finished (contest) in regulation time. We went into the shootout, which can be anybody’s game,” said the Dronacharya awardee. “The same happened in the Asian Games. We switched off for three minutes in the semis and gave away the match.”
Going by the coach’s win-loss record, Harendra has done quite well. Under him, India have played 23 matches of which they’ve won 16 and lost three. “It’s not about numbers. We have to deliver in the most important matches. We have to perform slightly better. We have to work on rectifying those errors and I don’t think you will see that in the World Cup.”
Harendra finally tasted success, albeit a shared one, at the Asian Champions Trophy in October at Muscat. India beat all its rivals to enter the summit clash against Pakistan, which had to be abandoned due to rain.
Now Harendra is leading a young squad into the World Cup with all but goalkeeper PR Sreejesh born in the 1990s. The coach feels that though experience counts, it’s not everything. “Experience matters but it is not the be all and end all. In the last few years, we have fielded experienced teams but have we got good results in World Cups? No. The management feels that those who fit in the scheme of things should get to wear the national colours.
“It’s not a matter of senior or junior. You have been selected because you are good.”