The Hindu : Sport / Hockey : Determined Pakistan wins series

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 09, 2004

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Sport - Hockey

Determined Pakistan wins series

By Vijay Lokapally

PROUD MOMENT: Sohail Abbas, who became the highest scorer in international hockey, is honoured by his teammates. - Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

AMRITSAR, OCT. 8. Two sensational strikes by Sohail Abbas and Rehan Butt sealed the fate of the India-Pakistan Dosti hockey series 2004 at the Guru Nanak Dev university ground here in front of a packed theatre. It may have been a working day in this border town but all roads seemed to lead to this small but compact venue that saw Pakistan win 2-1, and with it the series 4-1. India had to win this day to keep the series alive but it hardly looked a combination worth posing a threat to the opposition.

The Pakistanis were far more resilient, determined and equipped to come to terms with the demands set by the team management. Having drawn the last encounter at Chandigarh, it was clear that India would face a determined Pakistan and it discovered the hard way that hockey was all about consistency and not just individual brilliance.

The Indians defended well in the initial stages when Pakistan probed on either flank. Viren Rasquinha was under constant pressure but was supported by a withdrawn Sandeep Michael and Prabhot Tirkey, the latter outstanding right through the match. Pakistan made its intentions known as it tried establishing early supremacy. It got its goal in the ninth minute, a glorious moment for Abbas, as he surpassed Paul Litjens' world record.

It was the defining moment of the series as Abbas scored from the first penalty corner to mark his 268th international goal. His dreaded drag flick was a compelling statement on his immense contribution to the game.

"I'm glad I got the record here. I thank Allah, my fans and my mates. I'm glad that we improved with every match in the series and this remains a special day for me," said the unassuming Abbas.

Bizarre drama

But drama marked the occasion as Abbas' flick left the umpires too in a confused state. Amarjit Singh conferred with his colleague, Satender Sharma, and the technical bench as the ball was retrieved from the stands behind the Indian goal. The ball, it was judged, had passed through the net, a fitting proof to Abbas' brutal power behind the shot. The Indians accepted the decision gracefully, for they knew Abbas deserved the honour without any strings attached. It would remain a special day for Pakistan hockey too. "The record is good for him, the team and for the country," gushed captain Waseem Ahmed. "It was a great experience playing under pressure and the win here allows us to experiment in the next match (at Hyderabad)."

Praise for Abbas came from the Indian camp when Rasquinha described him as a "great player, a great human being and a great advertisement for the game."

The celebrations had been planned in advance as the entire Pakistan team gathered in the centre of the pitch to hail Abbas' distinction. He walked under an umbrella of hockey sticks as the audience accorded him a sanding ovation.

One penalty corner for India and two for Pakistan in the first half aptly summed up the session but things differed when the teams returned.

Pakistan dominates

There were long spells of Pakistan's dominance thanks mainly to some brilliant runs by Rehan Butt, Ghazanfar Ali and Shakeel Abbasi. India managed to thwart them, once coming perilously close to conceding a goal when Ali hit the post but not for long. A class act by Rehan saw India's confidence shaken as the veteran Pakistani unleashed a reverse flick that signifies his potential. A clever switch at the top of the circle, a step forward to gain space and a lethal swipe sent the ball crashing into the Indian goal in the 14th minute of the second half. Even as a hush descended on the venue following Pakistan's second goal, came what promised to be an Indian revival. Ignace led the move that won the team a penalty stroke when his stick was hooked by Zeeshan Ashraf. To the delight of the crowd, Arjun Halappa made no mistake in the 16th minute.

Tshar Khandkar came close to scoring but could not beat the towering Salman Akbar. Pakistan forced two quick penalty corners but Adrian thwarted them. A counter attack saw the Indians harassing the Pakistan defence but poor trapping left the home team frustrated.

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