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The Indian hockey team's performance in their 4-2 win over Wales on Thursday, in the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup, was unconvincing, to say the least. The biggest reason for their flawed efforts was the absence of Hardik Singh, the most important part of the team currently.
Without Hardik’s dynamism and skills, the Indian team didn’t have the same aggression and quality that was seen in their previous matches. They were even in danger of not winning this contest after allowing the Welsh side to draw level at 2-2. It was the brilliance of Akashdeep Singh that allowed India to get away with a win.
To better understand what went wrong for the Indian team, it’s useful to look at the efforts of individual players. Here the player ratings for the Indian hockey team from their match against Wales.
Jarmanpreet Singh – 7/10
Jarmanpreet Singh is an all-rounder who plays all over the pitch. However, in this match, it took some time for the big sardar to get going. His intensity increased in the second half as he got more involved with the team's attacking manoeuvres.
Abhishek – 5/10
Once again, Abhishek couldn’t leave a mark on the contest. He was overshadowed by other attackers.
Surender Kumar – 6/10
Surender did well when he got into the game. He made some good passes in the contest.
Manpreet Singh – 7/10
This was a very important match for Manpreet as he needed to step up in the absence of Hardik Singh. While he did do a good job, it wasn’t the kind of exceptional performance that Hardik produced in the last two games.
Mandeep Singh – 6/10
Mandeep Singh loses a full point for missing a few good chances to score. He worked brilliantly with Akashdeep for India’s second goal and was playing a very productive role in Indian hockey team's forward line. However, he failed to give the final touch on a few occasions.
Krishan Bahadur Pathak – 6/10
In a match where India dominated possession, Pathak didn’t have too many challenges. In the third quarter, where the Welsh team were at their most dangerous, the goal was manned by PR Sreejesh.
Harmanpreet Singh – 3/10
Despite finally scoring a goal, it was a game to forget for Harmanpreet Singh. It seems like teams have found a way to run him down before he could fully unleash his drag-flick. Also, his drag-flicks in this match didn’t have the searing quality we have come to expect. Unlike the last game, where the India captain made up for his lack of scoring with good work in defense, he looked a bit forlorn against Wales.
Lalit Kumar Upadhyay – 5/10
Lalit’s performance in this game is a good representation of the overall flaw in the Indian hockey team’s efforts. Rather than playing positively and backing his skills, Lalit looked ultra-cautious and hence, couldn’t open up the Welsh defense as expected.
Nilam Sanjeep Xess – 5/10
There was nothing wrong with Xess’s efforts. The problem was that the possession was so much in India’s favor that a defender like him hardly had anything to do.
PR Sreejesh – 6/10
Sreejesh conceded two goals in this game, both in the third quarter. However, he can’t be faulted too much for them. The third quarter was the most dangerous one for the Indian hockey team's defense as Wales counter-attacked often. Sreejesh didn’t commit any major mistakes.
Nilakanta Sharma – 6/10
Like the Indian team in general, Nilakanta also took his time to become more involved in the contest. It was the second half, especially the last quarter, where he finally started making a mark in the midfield.
Shamsher Singh – 7/10
Shamsher has been the surprise package for the Indian hockey team’s forward line in this World Cup. His goal relieved the Indian hockey team at a time when they were getting anxious to open their account. He was also more creative in the rest of the match than some of the other players.
Varun Kumar – 6/10
Like Surender, Varun had a limited role to play in a game which was mostly about India trying to find a way through the defense of Wales.
Akashdeep Singh – 8/10
Undoubtedly, the Man of the Match in this game. Akashdeep unleashed two thunderbolts from the top of the circle to register a brace. He was also the most effective forward for India and, like he has done previously in this tournament, played a very active role when it came to defending also. He has become an all-rounder for his team.
Amit Rohidas – 6/10
After two good matches, Amit was off-color in this match. To be fair, he too, like other defenders, wasn’t given much of a chance. But, at his best, the defender from Odisha can become an effective midfielder and even an attacker for the Indian hockey team. That wasn’t the case today.
Vivek Sagar Prasad – 7/10
With Hardik missing, Vivek also had to step up, alongside Manpreet. The youngster from Madhya Pradesh did a decent job. With more opportunities available, Vivek showed that he can add value to the team.
Sukhjeet Singh – 7/10
Sukhjeet’s biggest contribution in this match was his brilliant interplay with Akashdeep for India’s third goal. He too, though, didn’t step up and pressurize the Welsh defense as was expected. This was the collective bane of the Indian hockey team in this game.
