Old soldier spins magic across line of control

Perhaps not even the player himself. After the match, he acknowledged the significance of the moment. ‘‘It was magical hockey today. This victory will always be very special for me’’, he told The Indian Express, adding that it would rank alongside his performance along with another Indian victory against Pakistan, in the 1995 SAF Games at Chennai.

The match at the Champions Trophy will be memorable not merely for the fact that India won 3-2 but for the manner in which they won it, and for the manner in which Pakistan too played. It was a game that left Europeans and Australians — used to a more sterile, technical style of play — gaping in amazement and searching for superlatives.

Yet the mercurial — in every sense of the word — forward had ‘‘some apprehensions’’ over playing with his much-younger fellow forwards. ‘‘But I never allowed the pressure to get to me. Today I proved that I can still play another two or three years.’’

Any pre-match instructions? ‘‘Coach Rajinder Singh told me to keep cheering the other forwards in the team, keep their spirits up and stop them from getting complacent’’, he said. And, though his teammates got angry at times for shouting at them, ‘‘I did it as my duty’’. And it worked, because the youngsters played out of their skins, raising their game against their arch-rivals. They abandoned their old habit of aiming for their opponents’ feet and hoping for a penalty-corner; today, they shot straight at goal. ‘‘What I like about this young bunch is that all of them were charged up to beat Pakistan at any cost. They have the potential to go very far’’, he said.

Dhanraj had a hand in all three goals. For the first, he beat three defenders in a row before setting up Prabjot Singh with a near-empty goal. The second, a penalty-corner converted by skipper Dilip Tirkey, was the result of another piercing Pillay run.

The third was a beauty by Gagan Ajit Singh, but only after Dhanraj had weaved past two Pakistani defenders and pushed the ball to him.

Pillay made his India debut in 1989, the same year as a certain Master Tendulkar. That’s where the similarity ends, though the scenes after the match today — when he was mobbed by the press and fans — would gladden every hockey fan’s heart. The game has suffered in India from lack of public interest, an issue that has bothered it’s most visible, potent star. ‘‘I hope this win will bring supporters back to Indian hockey and the game will get more attention’’, he said.

It certainly held the attention here in Cologne. This was Asian hockey at its best, played thankfully before a full house — supporters of both teams coming from Holland, Belgium and France as well. This was, ultimately, a win for the sport.