India shouldn8217;t mind going dutch

There is an air of anticipation at the Wagener Stadium as a lot of people here seem to be following the course of Indian hockey after their ...

There is an air of anticipation at the Wagener Stadium as a lot of people here seem to be following the course of Indian hockey after their back-to-back victories in Germany and Australia a few months ago. Suddenly in a span of a year, Pakistan has taken the backseat while India is expected to showcase the magic of the East.

India8217;s latest admirer is the Dutch coach Joost Bellaart, a top class coach but known for his arrogance towards the oppositions. On eve of his team8217;s match against India, he seems to have taken a U-turn.

Last year at Cologne, Bellaart told this reporter that he was not taking India seriously, saying, 8216;8216;I am afraid, India has been away from top quality hockey for quite a while now.8217;8217; But this time around things are different as Bellaart is singing a different tune. 8216;8216;India have brought a lot of changes and they are a good team. I am happy to see India back.8217;8217;

Pacy Aussies play underdogs Pak

Australians have brought a team that is strong on experience, but not lacking in powerful legs with several young players in the squad. The team spent a few days in Athens where they played a few practice games at the Olympic venue.

Most experts here reckon that it would be a toss-up between the Dutch and the Aussies for the title. Holland toured Australia earlier this year for a five-Test series and lost 0-3 with two matches drawn.

A pacy Australia won the final Test 6-1, a result that the Dutch would be keen to avenge. Pakistan have had their share of problems, but Tahir Zaman said that the team is now very focussed. 8220;We didnot have some senior players for the tri-nation event in Australia earlier this year. They had commitments in the German league.

8220;But now that they are back in the team, I think we should do well here,8221; he said.

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The last time India beat the defending Olympic champion was at the Azlan Shah Trophy in 1996 by a margin of 4-2. Besides, during the 2002 Champions Trophy India almost ran away with the match till the Dutch forced a 3-3 draw in the last minute.

In fact the statistics are heavily in favour of the Dutch though it was here that India began their glorious run of Olympic titles in 1928. With an awesome home record, even a draw would serve the Indian well in their opening encounter. The stakes are high for both teams since the match tomorrow might well decide their fate in the Champions trophy.

Indian chief coach Rajinder Singh admitted that there was pressure on his team to perform this year but denied that it was due to the fact that they were playing the defending champion in the opening match. 8216;8216;We were aware in advance of the schedule there is no worry on this front. Our aim is to do well in every match and our overall strength is the strong point,8217;8217; said Rajinder.

The strength of both Holland and India lies in their overall strength but they have enough talented individuals on whom the fate of the match would rest.