Indian hockey nets a vital goal

Indian hockey nets a vital goal
R Ramachandran

New Delhi, March 21 : If cricket was the winner at Kolkata and badminton triumphed at Birmingham, it was hockey at Dhaka a truly stirring final everybody had been hoping for between the two Asian rivals India and Pakistan. The aesthetes could not have asked for more. The icing on the cake, however, was the Indian victory, reminiscing the one our boys had chalked out at Chennai during the SAF Games in 1995.

For some, comparisons may look odious but certainly not out of place because at Dhaka, India found a VVS Laxman in Jude Menezes. In a gripping final like the one against Pakistan, you need to have the steely nerves and Menezes displayed them in adequate measures when the moment of reckoning arrived in the tie-breaker.

No doubt, Menezes has grown in stature but he had to prove it to the world, more so to his critics, that he could withstand pressure. That he did with aplomb his anticipation and feet movement were precise on Tuesday goes on to confirm the faith reposed by officials that he was a worthy investment.

Of course, there is a vital lesson in it for our cricket officials, who believe in the chopping-and-changing policy. The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) must be complimented for continuing with youngsters with a sprinkle here and there of experience, particularly Dhanraj Pillay. A livewire that he is, Pillay can make a lot of difference to the morale of the team. It was very much on view in all the games at Dhaka, particularly in the final.

More than anything else, the best thing to happen to Indian hockey was bringing back Coach Cedric D’Souza out of the wilderness. The man, with immense knowledge and experience, has done well to mix with the guys, listen to their problems and look at remedies.

On way to Chennai, just after the Patiala camp, Cedric vowed to put Indian hockey where it belongs. He was very positive in his thinking and knew what he wanted to do to change the face of Indian hockey. He said: ‘‘Four years of hibernation has changed me a lot. I know the mistakes I had made in the past. I have taken corrective measures and am going to put them into practice. The first and foremost is to look into the physical aspect of the players. You need to be fit, both physically and mentally,’’ said a positive Cedric.

His faith was strengthened further by the fact that he had been getting positive signals from every quarter, letting bygones be bygones, and making a fresh beginning. The support from the Sports Authority of India and IHF officials also helped him mould a disjoined unit into a successful one.

No doubt, India are one of the elite nations in the game today. But consistency has been the worrying factor. That is precisely where Cedric had been working ever since he began his second innings with the team. As he admitted, India tend to choke at times. ‘‘In terms of overall tactics we need to work really harder. This is one area where I am willing to put all my eggs. Of course, fitness is the other part. Once we overcome these problems, things will fall into place,’’ he said.

Indeed, India seem to have overcome some of these aspects Cedric had been mentioning. At Dhaka, the normally sluggish Indian approach had disappeared. The deep defence showed an unusual alertness with Dilip Tirkey, Lazarus Larka and Dinesh Nayak doing an excellent job. The midfield in the hands of Baljit Singh Saini and Thirumalvalavan looked stable than ever as the two had for support Arjun Halappa and Bipin Fernandes. The two juniors have done extremely well playing alongside the experienced and pick the finer points.

Similarly, the able Pillay relished the company of Baljit Dhillon who, with two understudies in Prabhjot Singh and Inderjit Singh, were a formidable force.

Apart from these, one remarkable thing to happen was the harmony and collectiveness in the Indian unit. ‘‘When you don’t have communication problem, you have no problem,’’ Cedric had said. Indeed, his good rapport with players has done a world of good to their confidence and it was reflective in their commitments on the field.

With Gold Cup under their belt, Indians must be oozing with confidence. But as Cedric had indicated, their main target is the World Cup qualifier in two months’ time followed by the Champions Trophy, this December in New Delhi. For the record, India last participated in the Champions Trophy in 1995. In between, the team has quite a few tournaments lined-up for itself.

‘‘We will get there,’’ said Cedric. Why not? Where there is a will, there is a way. Cedric believes in the saying as much as he believes his boys.