defending champion India Hosts Indonesia need to be beaten by a huge margin and Pakistan are expected to beat Japan in another Pool A match to advance to the knockout stages of the Asia Cup men’s hockey tournament here on Thursday.
India’s fate is no longer in their own hands as even a win against a weak Indonesia will not guarantee them a knockout berth. To keep India’s bleak hopes alive, Japan must defeat Pakistan.
India are third in Pool A behind Japan (6 points) and Pakistan (4 points) with a draw and a loss.
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Under Sardar Singh’s guidance, India fielded a young team in the tournament with a handful of seniors such as Birender Lakra and SV Sunil who came out of retirement. But if their performance in the two matches so far is seen, the senior pair went well beyond their prime.
India conceded a last minute goal of their tournament to draw 1–1 against Pakistan and beat Japan 2–5.
But now, a “near impossible” task awaits the Indians as they not only have to score big against Indonesia, but also hope that Japan will progress to the Super 4 stage in another Pool A match on Thursday. I will defeat Pakistan.
India has a margin of minus three against Pakistan’s plus 13. If Pakistan loses to Japan, India will have to beat Indonesia by a huge margin to advance on goal difference from their western neighbors and advance in the tournament.
The main reason behind India’s low-level performances as young players was inexperience, which was mainly drawn from the previous juniors. World It is becoming increasingly difficult for the Cup team to assess the standard of international hockey.
In the two matches so far, the Indians lacked coordination in three departments – defence, midfield and forwardline.
The Indians lacked a quality playmaker in the midfield, which was evident from their relentless efforts to build attacks from the center rather than using both sides more often.
There was a faint shadow of himself in the Lakra backline, which has broken down extensively under constant pressure.
The front row has been futile with players like Tokyo Olympian Simranjit Singh and young Uttam Singh not performing at their best in the outing.
Thin and solidly built Pawan Rajbhar is the only player to have impressed with his commitment and stick work, creating chances and scoring a goal in two matches.
Penalty corner conversion is another area where the Indians are struggling as they lack a quality drag-flicker after veteran Rupinder Pal Singh was ruled out at the last minute due to a wrist injury.
With them at stake, the young Indian players could be prepared to give their best shot on Thursday and show they can rise to the occasion.
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