New-look Team India hope to seal World Cup spot at Rotterdam

Dress rehearsal: With inclusion of Sandeep Singh,team has 3 penalty-corner specialists at FIH World League Round 3.

Indian players have often been guilty of making over-the-top claims going into a high-profile tournament only to return empty handed. Look no further than the Olympics as an example. So it didn8217;t come as a surprise when captain Sardar Singh chose to speak in measured words about the team8217;s chances at the World League semifinals. The restraint on his part was understandable.

Yet,as India embarked on the Road to Rotterdam,the team brimmed with confidence of achieving a top-three finish that will help them seal a berth in next year8217;s World Cup in the Dutch city.

The World League semifinals,which begins in Rotterdam on June 13,doubles up as the first qualifying tournament for the quadrennial show-piece event. Sardar was quick to throw caution to the wind taking a note of the tough pool India are placed in.

It will be nice to seal qualification a year in advance,which will give us more time for preparation. Also,we will be able to play in the Asia Cup also a WC qualifier,to be played in August without any pressure so that will be advantageous. At the same time,we are realistic of our chances. We know that we8217;ll have to be consistent,ruthless and,more importantly,exceed our potential to finish in the top three, Sardar said before leaving for Rotterdam on Tuesday.

India,drawn in Pool B of the league-cum-knockout tournament,open their campaign against Ireland on June 13 before taking on hosts Holland and New Zealand. Pool A comprises Australia,Belgium,Spain and France. Top three teams after final classification matches will earn direct qualification for the World Cup,which will be played from May 31 to June 15 of next year in Rotterdam. The competition is pretty tough as all teams will want to qualify. But we are keen and will give our best shot, coach Michael Nobbs said.

Sardar said the recent exposure trip to Holland can prove to be crucial as the team is already aware of the conditions that await them in Rotterdam.

The team played five practice matches against the local clubs and two against the Dutch national team,winning both. Playing there last month has certainly helped. The turf there is quicker than what usually is so we have to make a few adjustments to the game like timing the runs,gauging the speed of a pass and also how much force to put behind it. Also,beating Holland,who had around five players from their first team,was a big confidence booster, the midfield maestro said.

Focus on corners

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Sandeep Singh8217;s surprise return to the squad means India have three specialist drag-flickers in the 18-member squad,the other two being V R Raghunath and Rupinderpal Singh. Nobbs has laid special emphasis on penalty corners during the three-week camp at the SAI centre in Bangalore,spotting it as an area where the team has an edge over the opposition. We have worked a lot on it in the last three weeks 8211; that8217;s been our focus. We have three drag-flick specialists in the squad and at a given time,at least two of them will be on the field. So,that gives us a lot of options. If we can make the most of the set pieces and improve our conversion rate,then it automatically enhances our chances of getting desired results, Sardar said. tells you that you need to improve in every aspect of the game. He Sandeep understood the message and worked really hard. Same is the case with Shivendra Singh, Oltmans said.