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Were the Indians deliberately trying to conserve much-needed energy for the big finals in their last pool encounter?
Whether or not we get the answer to that one remains to be seen, but BJ Kariappa's team seemed to up the ante in the final quarter of their match against Great Britain after ambling along in the first three.
Just when Great Britain looked to be coasting to victory with a two-goal cushion and one quarter left to play, the Indians decided to fire on all cylinders and give their opponents a massive scare by scoring three goals in the last twelve minutes.
As it turned out, however, a PC goal for Great Britain at the death resulted in a scoreline that read 3-3 and helped set up a repeat of last year's final thus denying the Japanese a chance to play India for gold.
The summit clash of the ninth edition of the Sultan of Johor Cup will witness the brilliance of the Indian forward line who will be up against the best defending team of the tournament.
Great Britain has scored just 8 goals as compared to India's tally of 23 - but the 2018 title-holders have conceded just 5.
The Indians, on the other hand, have conceded as many as a dozen goals in five matches and captain Mandeep Mor will need to organize his fellow-defenders a lot better if his team are to go one better than last year.
With five goals to his name, Shilanand Lakra has been one of the standout performers for the Indians and will need to find the mark in the match that matters.
The Indians have the firepower and the skill to keep the Great Britain defenders on their toes - and if only the Junior Men in Blue remain tidy in their own circle, a gold medal is very much on the cards.
The Indians last won the title in 2013 and 2014 and will be aiming to become the first side to capture a third title in the history of the competition - as will Great Britain who lifted the Cup in 2015 and 2018.
Here is how you can catch all the action:
Event: Sultan of Johor Cup, 2019
Venue: Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Date: 19 October 2019
Time: 6:05 pm Indian Standard Time (IST)
Telecast: No telecast in India
Live Streaming: Notthefootyshow
Prediction:
With a gold medal at stake, neither team is likely to employ too much of a high press early on but the Indians will be expected to be a lot more aggressive in their approach than Great Britain whose primary focus has been to plug the gaps at the back.
The Indians have thrived on PCs in this tournament and have hopefully saved the best routines for the final - which could make all the difference in a close contest to savour.
Score Prediction: India 2 - Great Britain 1
