That sinking feeling,again

The World Cup tie was an example of brutal Australian assault and their ability to overwhelm the opposition into submission with their initial burst. It was also a game where Indias defence played out of their skins to make sure that the team did not drown in a deluge of goals. And it was a game where the Aussies were not only the fitter but also much faster.

Thursdays match was completely different,specially the first half,which was a revelation for anyone who has ever seen the team play. Though the Aussies tried and succeeded in their tested method of going ahead early on they scored their first two goals within six minutes it was more about defensive lapses by India than their own brilliance.

But thereafter,it was India all the way. Perhaps for the first time ever,the Aussies were confined to their half for almost an entire session. There was a rare burst of counter attack from Glenn Turner but,barring that,it was India,beating the Aussies in their own game.

Indias first goal came in the 16th minute. Tushar Khandker who seems to reserve his best for the big occasions did the unthinkable: he got the ball in Indias half,ran with it for almost the entire stretch of the field leaving five Australian players behind,and selflessly passed to Dharamveer up front,who beat the only person in his way,slotting the ball between the goalkeepers legs from an acute angle. Its difficult to remember another instance in atleast the last 10 years when an Indian player managed to outrun the Aussies.

In terms of alertness too,the Indians were far ahead. The quick turnarounds inside the striking circle,the body dodges to beat the defence and the impeccable passing and stopping it was surreal to see the Indian team actually running circles around the Aussies. India also earned five penalty corners in the first half,orchestrated mainly by Vikram Pillay and Khandker on the left,and Shivendra Singh on the right and gave away none.

But Sandeep Singh and Dhananjay Mahadik both failed the team,and the unanimous verdict was India had gifted away a chance to run away with the game. We are the best team in the world in penalty corner executions during practice,and the worst during matches, Brasa said,who was unrelenting in his criticism.

The second half saw a watered down version of the Indian team,as the defence let the team down on Thursday,gifting away several penalty corners. The players suddenly missed open chances,faltered in the middle and couldnt combine well. They did manage to reduce the margin in the last seconds but it came too late.

Team divided?

Brasa continued his tirade after the match,accusing the officialdom of messing with the team. Everything is happening around the team,there is confusion and the players are not being allowed to concentrate only on their game. Ive been asking for a sports psychologist since 2009 but havent got one as yet.

But the divide in the team between Brasa and the players appears too wide to fill. Asked about the need for a psychologist,captain Rajpal Singh said he did not feel the need for one. Brasa,sitting next to him,simply smiled and said,Well,good luck to him Rajpal. The loss and its margin means the pressure is on India to qualify for their maiden semis in the competition. Although it is Scotland next,the real crunch game is on Sunday,against arch-rivals Pakistan.