Opinion Stick check

Selection policy has come under the scanner and rightly so. At least three forward line players seemed out of their depth and not ready for the big stage. AstroTurf is a dream surface for forwards and if you are not able to capitalise when in possession of the ball,then results are not going to go your way. When opportunities presented themselves at London,our forwards simply did not have the belief that they could score. The same lack of belief appeared to hound Sandeep Singh in his penalty corner conversions.

The issue of captaincy too has been highlighted and I subscribe to the thinking that the captain should be always on the field of play to wield better influence. There needed to be someone who could pump up spirits,and generally lead the pack. Team dynamics must have been considered before taking the call on Bharat Chetri’s selection as captain,but he was on the bench for long. Sardara Singh or Ignace Tirkey could have been a better choice since they would have been out on the field and a rallying point for the team. One is also bound to ask whether coach Michael Nobbs’s handling of the team during the tournament was up to scratch. Coaching a men’s national team at the highest level for the first time could have been challenging and there may have been the odd trick that Nobbs could have missed.

Yet,the most important reason for the abysmal showing is the style of hockey that we in India have invested in. The additional touch on the ball every time we had possession left an opportunity for the opponent to regroup. The quick “give and go” would have been the best option in any situation. While the sudden breakaway from defence to attack is a very potent weapon for any hockey team,overdoing it,especially against a well-set defence,backfired for India. In the anxiety to make the transition quickly,the Indian forwards either overran the ball or surrendered possession when at top speed,leaving their own defence vulnerable to a speedy counter. Just as detrimental were attempts to long-pass the ball directly from defence or from the wings to the striking area.

Ideally,the attack ought to be more structured. A sort of base camp or launching pad in the opposition half should have been created by receiving the ball in front of the opposing defence and then shielding it long enough for other runners to make their moves. The variations emerging from this structured play would have drawn out the opposition and made openings for a final assault on the target. The advantage with this approach is that in case of loss of ball possession,your own defence is not exposed. Another area that needs improvement is the ability to closely mark opposing forwards in danger area. Changing from a zonal marking to a man-to-man marking in areas close to the goal would have considerably reduced the pressure on the Indian goalkeepers.

Pakistan,like India,invests in a similar archaic style,albeit a shade better in attack. That explains the erratic performance from the neighbour too. A 7-0 drubbing against Australia in the last pool match left them floundering and consigned to the bottom half of the standings. Hockey has truly waltzed on,and India and Pakistan have to struggle to stay with the beat. Teams like New Zealand,Belgium,South Korea,South Africa,Argentina and a few others bid fair to knock the erstwhile Asian and Olympic champs out from even the second rung of standings. In the top echelons,the Netherlands,Germany,Australia,Great Britain and Spain have consolidated their positions. They understand and play modern hockey best.

The understanding of modern hockey and the inculcation of intricacies cannot happen by focusing only on the national team. It is famously said that the battle of Waterloo was won on the playgrounds of Eton. Similarly,India’s hockey battle needs to be won in the many academies and sports schools where players earn their spurs. India needs world-class coaching and mentoring at the grassroots. We can then hope for many more Sardara Singhs or at least a few to help us keep pace with the best in the business.

The writer is a former India hockey captain and three-time Olympian
express@expressindia.com