This isn’t an easy schedule for India, by any standards. Back-to-back matches against Holland and Germany are followed, after a day’s break, by an encounter with Australia. It’s a must-win match for India if they are to reach the final; no wonder chief coach Rajinder Singh is visibly tense. ‘‘I am worried about the match. So far in this tournament, our boys haven’t played to half their actual potential — as they did on our Australian tour. This will be the toughest match in the tournament’’, he said. There will be a lot of similarity in style on show tomorrow. Both teams have a mutual admiration for each other. Australia’s English coach Barry Dancer prefers to play attacking hockey, looking down on the tactic-heavy European style. INDIA’S CHECKLIST • The first 20 minutes will be vital to the match. Aussies play the fastest game in the world, the Indians can’t hope to match them in speed but will have to block them from scoring in the first 20 minutes. The tactics worked in the last tournament Down Under • Midfield has to retain as much possession as possible. If not, they’ll be running in circles throughout the match. Halfline players Bimal Lakra and Ignace Tirkey, who are good distributors of the ball, haven’t been consistent in first two matches • Forwards looked rusty in the first two matches and can’t afford to miss any more easy chances. Much will depend on how Gagan Ajit Singh is utilised • Rate of success with penalty corners not good enough; there are three PC experts — Dilip Tirkey, Jugraj and Kanwalpreet Singh — and should start delivering. Australian great Ric Charlesworth, who excelled both as a player and coach (the latter of their women’s team) and who is here as TV commentator, said: ‘‘We (Aussies) prefer to make things happen on the field rather than wait to choke the rival team and hope they will make mistakes.’’ That’s what excites India’s goalpoacher Gagan Ajit Singh, who’s scored three goals so far in this meet. ‘‘The Germans are known to be tight markers but the Australians prefer to play open-style hockey. It will create more openings for us’’, he said. His confidence isn’t misplaced. If, a few years ago the Aussies were streets ahead, the Indians have caught up of late. The best example is, of course, the match in the 2000 Olympics which saw Australia scrape home with a draw in the dying moments. Indeed, India should go in as favourites on more current form. On their recent tour of Australia, India played two finals, winning one and losing the other. And in this Champions Trophy, the Australians are yet to record a win. However, the Indians are not taking any chance in their preparations: their morning session started with weight-training at a nearby gymnasium in Amsterdam and then they studied videotapes of Australians playing. Much will hinge on the fitness of defender Dilip Tirkey, who had a long session today with team trainer Sampath Kumar. Tirkey suffered severe cramps in the first match, and his withdrawal is seen as one main reason for India’s rapid slide to defeat, but the think-tank couldn’t afford to sit him out against Germany. Tirkey is not just the team’s main defender but also their main striker in the penalty corners. That’s one area where the Indians have not succeeded in this tournament. It’s added to the worries of Rajinder Singh, who believes in the philosophy of winning by outscoring the rival team. So far, the Indians have converted only one — through Jugraj Singh — of the seven penalty corners they’ve been awarded in the two matches. Head To Head Five key battles, on and off the turf JAMIE DWYER VS DILIP TIRKEY: The Australian is one of the most complete, dangerous players today — all speed, skill and sensible ballplay. If fit (suffered a hamstring problem in the last match), he can create problems for the Indian defence, otherwise his young replacement Grant Schubert would be the man to watch after his brilliant debut against Pakistan. Tirkey himself needs to be fully fit to check either TROY ELDER VS DEVESH CHAUHAN: IN recent times, the Australians have produced a few goals from penalty-corners but ‘Woody’, their PC expert, is in a different class. He’s played against some of the world’s best goalkeepers and Chauhan will have to watch for any late, sharp deflection the Australian flicker might attempt. GAGAN AJIT SINGH VS MATHEW WELLS: The Indian striker, one of the best goalpoachers around, is in good nick with three goals so far. Wells is a veteran of 110 matches and has a wealth of experience against Indian forwards but Gagan is an unconventional Indian forward, more in the European mould. He has a wide reach, good reflexes and an uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time. Australia should fear him the most. BRENT LIVERMORE VS BIMAL LAKRA: He who wins the battle of the midfield will have the initial edge. Livermore is one of the best in the world but currently in poor form. The Indian midfield general is gaining stature as one of the sharpest and skilled in the midfield. BARRY DANCER VS RAJINDER SINGH: More than any sport, hockey is played in the minds of the coaches. Both Australia and India play with flair and style. Both teams shared the honours in the finals of two tournaments recently and started rebuilding for the Champions Trophy almost at the same time, a year ago. Now, they need to prove who can utilise resources better. (Manish Kumar)
