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India ready to take on Belgium today

S. Thyagarajan

The series is the best test before the Olympic qualifier

— Photo: S.R. Raghunathan

MAKING PLANS: Belgium’s Felix Denayer and Thiery Renaer (right) involved in a discussion on the eve of the Test series against India.

Chennai: The essence of aesthetics comes into combat with the effervescence of athleticism as India locks horns with Belgium in the first of the five-Test hockey series at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium on Friday. That the aficionados here are waiting expectantly to witness the spectacle goes without saying.

In less than four months after that memorable night when India outplayed South Korea for a magnificent 7-2 win to retain the Asia Cup, the venue here will echo again to the treads of that combination against the confident set from Belgium.

As the Indian coach Carvalho said, the focus should not be on the outcome but on deciphering how well the Indian team shapes in the series from the standpoint of the Olympic qualifier at Chile in March.

It is true that India won comfortably 4-1 when the teams met last at Boom in the Champions Challenge, but the Belgians have recovered a lot of ground since then.

The high point came at the European championship in Manchester where the Belgians shocked Germany, the World champion, to grab the spot behind the Netherlands and Spain. The Australian coach Adam Commens has worked patiently on the deficient areas to enhance the confidence level of the Belgians. That as many as seven are under 21 in the squad speaks on the emphasis laid on preparing the youth for the future.

Severe test

For India, the series is the best test before the Olympic qualifier. And Carvalho, ever a pragmatist, is bent upon making the best of the opportunity.

The 24-member squad gives the coach enormous scope to shuffle and experiment with various combinations.

As said earlier, the majority of those who figured in the Asia Cup will be in action in the series. Carvalho is bound to field the best to ensure a good start on Friday for the Indians. Baljit Singh and Bharath Chetri will probably alternate as goal-keepers, and the tested duo of Dilip Tirkey and Williams Xalco as the deep defence.

It is a safe bet to assume that the mid-field will comprise Gurbaj, Bimal and Prabodh, with the attack sustaining itself on the strength of experience and skill of Rajpal Singh, Sardara Singh and the mercurial striker Tushar Khandekar, who will have to take extra burden in the absence of the injured Prabhjot Singh.

More exposure

Carvalho will definitely be inclined to give drag-flicker Raghunath as much exposure as possible to sharpen the immaculate striker.

He is also keen on trying out another promising youngster, Divakar Ram, who is causing ripples of excitement at the eight-nation under-21 tournament now in progress at Kuala Lumpur. At the moment of writing, India stands an excellent chance to registering a trophy triumph there. Buoyed by the result that ensured the passport to Olympics after 32 years, the Belgians are clearly perking themselves to register a win or two against the higher rated opponent.

Even granting the fact that the track record is overwhelmingly in favour of India, an upset win will go a long way to erasing the humiliation of a 1-4 reverse at Boom.

Notwithstanding the assertion of the coach, Adam Commens that the team will have the freedom of frontline sallies the cornerstone of the team’s strength is penalty corner conversion. More than one is good at this department. Strikers in the calibre of Gregory Gucassoff and Jerome Dekeyser can transform the course of the contest in a jiffy. Then veteran stars like Renaer Thrirry with over 300 caps and Max Luycx lend a touch of solidity to the mid-field and defence.

What India should value most now are the inputs of the Aussie great, Ric Charlesworth, perhaps the first hint of coaching after he assumed the role of the Technical Director.

To the statistically minded, India and Belgium have figured in 44 matches out of which the former won 34, drew seven and lost three. India has scored 127 goals conceding 46. In the five Test series (1959, 1992, 1999, 2000 and 2004), India won four and shared the last in 2004.

In Chennai, the teams played each other twice in the Rene Frank Trophy in 1976.

Amarjit Singh of Malaysia, International Grade I, is the neutral umpire, and will be assisted by Pranam Singh from Delhi and Narasimha Prasad from Hyderabad.

International Muhammad Munir is the umpires’ manager, while Muhammad Nabi is designated as the Technical Officer.

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