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#1 First major tournament of 2018
The 27th edition of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup will get underway in Ipoh, Malaysia. The tournament is an important one in the hockey calendar since it's inception in 1983 as a biennial contest. It subsequently became an annual event from 1998.
Australia have won the Azlan Shah cup nine times, followed by India who have won five times and Pakistan thrice.
India were bronze medalists last year and in 2015 and won silver in 2016. India will be pitted against Australia, Argentina, Ireland, England, and hosts Malaysia.
After the Four-Nations Invitational in New Zealand last month, where the Red Lions got the better of India twice, this will be the first major tournament of 2018 for coach Sjoerd Marijne's team.
Akashdeep Singh, SV Sunil, SK Uthappa, Amit Rohidas, Dipsan Tirkey, Akash Chikte and Suraj Karkera (among others) were not picked for the Four-Nations Invitational but are back among the probables for the Azlan Shah Cup.
So, who will be key the players for Team India and what can we expect from the side who will be up against the top two teams in the hockey world?
#2 Multitasking is the key
Dipsan Tirkey, Amit Rohidas, and Birendra Lakra, are the wonder boys from Odisha manning the Indian defence line. The three youngsters add solidity to India's defence line, training alongside stalwart Sardar Singh and Rupinder Pal Singh.
Handling the pressure of international matches has, however, been a challenge for the youngsters.
Playing against England in the HWL semi-finals in Bhubaneshwar, Amit Rohidas and Birendra Lakra seemed to succumb under pressure, losing the ball time and again and failing to stop the English from making repeated forays deep into Indian territory.
In the first match against the Aussies, Lakra fumbled in the D conceding a crucial penalty corner to Australia which they managed to convert.
Dipsan Tirkey, however, shone in the same match against Australia by intercepting several passes from the Australian midfield from reaching the strikers lurking near the Indian goal. He deserves credit because though Australia scored once to equalise, they failed to score a second goal in the match. Considering the might of the Australian attack, this was quite an achievement indeed.
The defence line will have to pull up their socks, as in the recently concluded Four-Nations Invitational in New Zealand, India conceded 17 goals in eight matches and can ill afford to be so liberal against teams like Australia and Argentina.
The experience and guidance of Sardar Singh will no doubt be vital for the youngsters in defence to stop Australia's rampaging strikers who have the ability to destroy and bludgeon the opposition.
#3 Mastering the drag flick
Harmanpreet Singh is one of the most impressive youngsters in the India camp having won the 2016 Promising Player of the Year Award from the Asian Hockey Federation.
Harmanpreet has been instrumental in India's recent victories, playing a vital role in defence and also as a drag-flicker. Harmanpreet scored through drag-flicks for India in the last eight encounter of the HWL Final against Belgium and also against Germany.
Coach Sjoerd Marijne has stressed that all the young defenders are doing extra training on their drag flicks so the team can now have more penalty corner specialists.
#4 Guarding the Indian citadel: Sreejesh and the young pack
Veteran goalkeeper and man for all seasons, PR Sreejesh is among the probables for the Azlan Shah Cup. Sreejesh played in the recently concluded Four-Nations Invitational after an eight-month break following injury.
Young Suraj Karkera is also available along with Akash Chikte, both of whom played for India in the Asia Cup and also the Hockey World League recently.
In the 2017 Hockey World League Final's last eight encounter against the Red Lions, Akash Chikte saved the day for India with some brilliant saves enabling India to beat fancied Belgium in a penalty shootout. In the opener against Australia, however, it has to be said that he conceded a goal from a penalty corner which could have been blocked allowing Jeremy Hayward to score.
In the Asia Cup pool match against Pakistan in Dhaka last year, Suraj Karkera played the first half of the match, denying the Pakistani strikers, notably, Muhammad Atiq who looked dangerous. Akash Chikte was outstanding in goal, in the second half, with some brilliant saves which included a penalty corner enabling India to win 3-1. India conceded just six goals in the tournament thanks to the heroics of Karkera and Chikte.
In the all-important HWL finals against Germany last month, Suraj Karkera made a superb save off a penalty corner to deny the Germans. India went on to win the bronze beating Germany.
Also, among India's goalkeeping probables is Krishan Pathak. In the Four-Nations Invitational in New Zealand (where veteran Sreejesh was available) Pathak made good use of the chance he got in the match against Japan. Pathak's superb interceptions after the Japanese had got well past the Indian defence, helped India win 4-2.
Competition, no doubt brings out the best in all. Having reserves available in order to offset the negative outcome from injuries is also vital in international hockey.
Sreejesh is still the best, but in his absence, Karkera, Chikte, and Pathak have made their mark which no doubt augurs well for the team and for the future as well.
#5 Cool heads in midfield; lightning speed, mesmerizing skills up front
One-touch hockey is Sjoerd Marijne's mantra. Yet, this is not how the Indians have traditionally played the game.
Old-timers will no doubt recall that great Indian strikers, from the late Mohammad Shahid to Dhanraj Pillai and Gagan Ajit Singh, loved playing to the galleries with long runs, dribbling past multiple defenders which was a scintillating sight to watch. Old-timers will also recall (not so fondly) that all these great players failed to actually put the ball into the net often enough for India to win the big matches.
One-touch hockey is all about speed, and releasing (or glancing) the ball quickly to outsmart the opposition and cover the length of the field in minimum time. The coach's methods are working and hats off to him for the same.
Consider the move below in India's drawn match against Australia in the HWL.
Harmanpreet Singh who was in the Indian D passed the ball to Manpreet, who, in turn, passed to Chinglensana, back to Manpreet, then Varun Kumar and Mandeep Singh near the Australian D. All the players played one-touch hockey and the ball had covered the entire length of the field with such amazing speed that the vociferous home crowd was in raptures and the Aussie midfield and defence all at sea.
Speed is the key in the modern game and one player in the Indian team who personifies speed is SV Sunil who won the title of Asia's best player for 2016 and also best player of the Asia Cup in Dhaka last year. A veteran, whose electrifying twists, dodges, and darting sprints make him one of the best strikers in the world of hockey. One of the fastest men on the pitch in the hockey world today, Sunil's skills make him a vital cog in the wheel for Team India.
A prolific goal-scorer, Akashdeep Singh scored seven goals in the semi-final round of the Hockey World League in London last year. Akashdeep, along with Gurjant and SV Sunil showcased a scintillating performance in the final round of the Hockey World League at the Kalinga Stadium especially in the match against Belgium.
Consistency has been an issue; however, and Akashdeep missed several chances in the HWL opener against Australia and India could have recorded a historic win had those chances been converted.
In the finals against a depleted German side (with several players injured), Akashdeep and Sunil wasted several chances. Sunil did score but against a full-strength German team, India's lapses may have proved costly.
Experienced captain Manpreet Singh, cool-headed as ever will be the key in midfield along with Chinglensana. The midfield has been erratic of late with a bad outing against England and a mediocre performance in the bronze medal match against Germany in the HWL Final. Barring those two encounters, the midfield looks solid.
However, the Indians have to improve their penalty corner conversion rate. Rupinder Pal Singh and young-gun Harmanpreet Singh will have a major role to play. Hopefully, the young defenders guided by Sjoerd Marijne can pitch in too as drag-flickers.
#6 Can India go all the way?
In gruelling tournaments of this nature, quite often there is no respite with teams having to play two (and sometimes three) high-intensity matches on the trot. India has long had a problem in this regard.
Tigers in one match, lambs in the next
With a head-to-head record that is tilted in favour of Australia, and in no small measure (80-22) at the last count, the Indians need to be at their absolute best against Colin Batch's all-conquering side.
They were indeed at their very best in the HWL Final opener in Bhubaneshar. India launched speedy attacks right from the opening whistle, giving the Aussies a taste of their own medicine and effectively so.
The marauding Indians caught Australia unawares, penetrating the Australian circle repeatedly and even took the lead much to the delight of the Bhubaneshwar crowd. After a while, however, they failed to keep the momentum up and the intensity going but managed a creditable draw.
What is of concern is that in the very next match against England, they looked totally off-color and a shadow of the side that so dazzled against the kookaburras.
England have not been in the best of form recently. That said, however, England beat India in Bhubaneshwar in a match where they seemed totally in control against their higher-ranked opponents winning 3-2.
The Indian midfield and defence made crucial errors on the day and seemed to crumble. India will need to justify their ranking and set the record straight when they face England in Ipoh.
Argentina were brilliant in defence in the Hockey World League in Bhubaneshwar last year and thwarted the Indian strikers time and again to win 1-0. India, no doubt, would have learned a thing or two from that encounter which they can hopefully build on.
So, self-belief is the key and if Sjoerd Marijne can inspire India to play fearlessly, maybe they can get the better of the Kookaburras too. That indeed would be a dream gift for Indian hockey fans at home and around the globe.
