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What's the story?
After recording convincing wins over the Netherlands in the Men's FIH Pro League 2020, Indian skipper Manpreet Singh is positive about his team's chances against their next opponents, Belgium. Manpreet has opined that if the defence plays to its full potential and the attackers convert the penalty corners that they get, India can continue its winning streak in the Pro League.
The background
The Indian defence had a solid showing against the Dutch in their opening matches of the Men's FIH Pro League. The Netherlands could only score two PC goals in two games despite receiving 12 PCs. This feat helped world No. 5, India get the better of their world number 3 rivals in two matches. However, the Indian team will face a stiff challenge from Belgium and Australia in their upcoming encounters.
The heart of the matter
Talking to IANS ahead of team India's next matches in the Pro League, Manpreet Singh reflected on the solid performance of the defenders, especially in terms of PCs. Manpreet said:
"Yes, if the PC defence performs well, it certainly helps the team. Netherlands had some good drag-flickers still we won. We just now need to continue with it as Belgium too, has many great drag-flickers and we need to be cautious about it beside working on it."
He even spoke about the small mistakes that India made in the second match against the Netherlands. The home side had earlier conceded a 1-3 lead in that game before coming back from behind and securing a win in the penalty shootout. The Indian skipper continued:
"We had two great outings as the entire team clicked as a unit and that is why we emerged victorious. We played exceptionally well in the first one but yes, we did make minor mistakes in the next one but managed to make a comeback. Overall, it has been a nice beginning but as it is just the start of the tournament, the upcoming games are very important."
When asked about the team's preparations for the matches against the Belgian side, Manpreet replied:
"As both the teams are equally good, we need to hit the turf with the same energy and passion as we did against the Netherlands. Our main focus will be to have a strong defence and convert any PC chances we get."
What's next?
India and Belgium will lock horns with each other on 8th and 9th February. It will be intriguing to see if the Indian team can overcome the challenge from their European rivals once again.
