NEW DELHI, Dec 30: The WORST fears of the Indian hockey team have come true. With the team doctor Colonel Cruz certifying three key mid-fielders -- Mohammed Riaz, Harpreet Singh and Baljit Singh Saini -- hors de combat, India will be meeting a strong German team with a half-baked half-line.The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) president KPS Gill, who announced a 18-member squad led by forward Dhanraj Pillay, tried to dismiss the issue saying, ``we have good replacements. There is no cause for alarm.'' However, with both the schemers, Riaz and Saini, out of action, Indians will struggle against the speedy Germans, whose game hinges on the control of mid-field.
Harpreet is suffering from a shoulder problem, Saini has hurt his ankle again, while Riaz is yet to recover from the knee injury.
Another setback comes in the face of coach Pargat Singh pulling out at the last moment, as he is down with chicken pox. `Hockey manager' Vasudevan Baskaran takes his place.
However, the silver lining is the
inclusion of as many as nine juniors who represented India at the Milton Keynes World Cup -- goalkeeper Jagdish Ponappa, defenders Dilip Tirkey, Lazarus Barla and Ajay Kumar, mid-fielders Anwar Khan and Baljit Singh Chandi, and forwards Harbhajan Singh, Rajiv Mishra and Samir Dad.
The Mumbai goalie Ponappa, who replaced Teja Singh in the World Cup semi-final and final matches, comes in as number one goalkeeper after Ashish Ballal pulled out citing personal problems. Ballal failed to attend the probables camp at Patiala. ``We will be trying out fresh goal-keepers as even AB Subbaiah is injured, having fractured his arm,'' Gill said. The Services goal-keeper RVS Prasad has come in on the strength of his performance in the Nehru tournament.
The Indian defence gives little cause for worry, with the selectors opting for a mix of experience and youth. The young Dilip Tirkey is now a veteran of several internationals, while juniors Lazarus Barla and Ajay Kumar impressed at Milton Keynes. K K Poonacha, the
Services captain, has had a dream season this year and excelled at the Nehru tournament. He is also known to have a powerful hit, which could come in handy in penalty corner situations.
The mid-field obviously is the weakest spot, with Ramandeep Singh as the only experienced campaigner. Anwar Khan and Baljit Singh Chandi did not have a good outing in the junior World Cup, while Thirumal Valavan and SS Gill lack international exposure. The IHF chief pointed out that Gill was a bright prospect and the IHF had been deliberating for some time now on replacing Harpreet with Gill. ``Pargat insisted on retaining Harpreet, but his injury will now give the youngster a chance,'' the president said.
The forward line could prove to be the saving grace for the injury-hit Indians. Veterans Dhanraj Pillay, Mukesh Kumar and Gavin Ferreira in company of juniors Rajiv Mishra, Harbhajan Singh and Samir Dad will make for a potent combination. However, there is still a question mark on Gavin's fitness, even after getting a
clearance from Dr Cruz.
Goalkeeper K Bopanna and half back Sandeep Singh will be drafted into the side for the last two matches at Amritsar and Delhi. Gill said that the team was liable to change for the Pakistan series. ``It is the first step in the build-up to the World Cup. The players will have to perform to retain their places.''
NEUTRAL UMPIRES: The IHF has decided to field neutral umpires for the series to avoid controversies. The umpires are Steve Graham (Wales) and Keith Cooper (England).Hockey Squad
Goal-keepers: Jagdish Ponappa (Mumbai), RVS Prasad (Services)
Defenders: Dilip Tirkey (Indian Airlines), Lazarus Barla (Railways), K K Poonacha (Services), Ajay Kumar (Air-India)
Mid-fielders: Ramandeep Singh (Punjab) , Thirumal Valavan (Tamil Nadu) , Sukhbir Singh Gill (Mumbai), Anwar Khan (Railways), Baljit Singh Chandi (Punjab).
Forwards: Dhanraj Pillay (Mumbai), Mukesh Kumar (India Airlines), Rajiv Mishra (Railways), Samir Dad (Indian Airlines),
Harbhajan Singh (BSF), Baljit Singh Dhillon (Punjab), Gavin Ferreira (Mumbai)
Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
