Ipoh: India, which seems to have regained its rhythm and confidence, is gearing up to face Malaysia in the semifinal here on Friday. It is rather premature, or even imprudent, to evaluate the efficacy of Carvalho's coaching agenda. After all, it is only a few months since he took the hot seat.

Indisputably, there are positive indications. The chief coach and his team of Ramesh Parameswaran and Mohinderpal Singh are on the right track. Carvalho has made it clear that he possesses no magic wand, and that his goal was a berth in the Olympics.

Like Carvalho, everyone associated with the complexities of contemporary hockey knows it is not going to be easy. The team has to show a high level of consistency to meet the tough norms set for qualifying.

Having missed the bus at Doha, where Pakistan made it even after winning only a bronze medal, the young Indian brigade is subject to high expectations. That itself is a difficult situation to handle.

In the Azlan Shah tournament here, India began with a touch of diffidence, frittering away many chances against an unusually rusty Australia and went on to lose 1-0. It then committed far too many defensive errors against China despite winning 5-4. Only against Argentina on Wednesday did the Indians show a modicum of control and tightened up their defence. Yet, there were quite a few loose balls and wide gaps.

Refreshing change

Refreshing was the return to short passes, a virtue the Indians had long discarded as not part of modern hockey. Given the physique of the players, long hits from corner to corner cannot be indulged in with the consistency exhibited by the Europeans, Australians, and even the Koreans. The best way is to amalgamate finesse with fitness.

Against Argentina, it worked. The fluency of the frontline, neat and quick clearances of the defence and a fairly consistent work by the deep defence produced a dramatic result. Still, it needs to be emphasised that harmony in the frontline alone will determine the course of a match.

Chikkara and Minz displayed the ability to run fast with the ball. Coupled with the experience and expertise of Tushar, Rajpal and Prabhjot, the attack can function far more effectively. Striker Shivendra is yet to regain his touch. However, one good match will put him in a buoyant mood and sharpen the attack.

In the 11 appearances in this tournament so far, India has figured in the semifinals seven times, and had won the trophy thrice, two of them in this city in 1985 and 1991. Do these statistics foretell a good result? Sunday will provide the answer.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail