Pakistan’s 3-0 whitewash of India in the first leg of the hockey Test series was not down to chance or, indeed, sheer individual brilliance. Ikhhlaq Singh Aujla looks at the factors that gave Pakistan the edgeBETTER BACKUP: The Pakistan team management provided better tactical support to the players in all three matches of the Indian leg. Assistant coach Rana Mujahid Ali and manager M. Saeed Ali Khan watched all the three games from behind the goalpost and were giving their own running commentary to coach Asif Bajwa, who was sitting with his team on the sidelinesCOORDINATION: The Pakistan midfield and forward line moved in sync. One or two Pakistan players were always inside the Indian striking circle to receive passes from both the flanks. Most of the crosses sent by Pak wingers were well-directed and taken up near or inside the ’D’TIGHT DEFENCE: Imran Warsi, Muhammad Imran and Dilawar Hussain were effective in their man-to-man marking. And the Pakistan team conceded only five penalty corners in three matches, which speaks of its composureNOSE FOR GOALS: The Pakistan players were always on the lookout for scoring opportunities during counter-attacks. They managed to pick holes in the Indian defence with literal ease and usually caught the defenders by surprisePLANNING: The PHF had announced, well in advance, that team doctor Riaz Ahmed would travel for the series. The IHF decided to rope in Dr Mandeep Singh Dhillon, noted orthopaedician and sports injury specialist working in PGIMER, Chandigarh, only after the team assembled for the first two Test matches
