Defence has been Indian senior men’s hockey team’s Achilles Heel for a long time now. Though improvements have been witnessed from time to time. India’s campaign at the 25th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh again brought to the fore weaklings in the defence.
The team did manage a runner-up finish in Ipoh but sloppy work in defence will pose many questions. “I think the defence is still a concern area for us. A lot of times our boys are caught ‘ball-watching’ something they can ill-afford in modern hockey, let alone in any form of hockey,” says former Indian captain and centre-forward Jagbir Singh.
The 51-year-old two-time Olympian believes resting PR Sreejesh for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup was a wise move. “I think it was a well thought out move to try Harjot Singh and Akash Chikte. Harjot has been in the team for a long time under the shadow of Sreejesh. It was for the first time that he was picked as the first-choice goalkeeper,” the two-time World Cupper quips.
Jagbir is chuffed to see significant strides being made in the Indian forward line. “I thought our forwards showed a lot of creativity inside the opposition circle. SV Sunil, in particular, was impressive – he has both skills and burst of speed and can score from all angles. It was good to see him use his speed and skill effectively,” he observes.
The Arjuna Awardee believes the team must learn to overcome the ‘fear of losing’. “Malaysia are tough to beat at home but we routed them in Ipoh as was the case with Pakistan. But then we looked flat against Australia and New Zealand. If a team looking outstanding one day and ordinary the next day it can’t be an issue about skills. We must learn to conquer the ‘fear of losing’,” he says.
There is always a feeling that India are slow starters but Jagbir did not read much into it. “Winning is more important than by what margin we have won a game. Sometimes, weather conditions, acclimatisation, etc can be factors but I guess how you finish the tournament that counts in the end,” he opines.
