India have a lot of positives from ACT win as they prepare for Hangzhou Asian Games
CHENNAI: The triumphant Indian team departed from Chennai early Sunday morning, but the sweet aftertaste of victory still lingers here. While the hosts' dominance of Pakistan and Japan in the run-up to the Asian Champions Trophy final was dazzling, it was the stirring fightback on Saturday night that felt cathartic.
Easy wins are great, but the ones where things don't go your way truly test your character. With the Asian Games barely five weeks away, it was crucial for the Indian team to go through such a game and discover the depth of their mental reserves. The fact that it happened in the final made it all the more rewarding.
Coach Craig Fulton knows the importance of such a win ahead of the Asiad. "You need to know that you can come from behind. It's easy to play when you are 3-0 up, but it's not easy to chase from behind. At the same time, if you are 3-0 up, and the opposition scores one or two goals, how do you then still win, that's also a big challenge. We have covered a lot of those now, ahead of the Asian Games, but we have still got some work to do," Fulton said.
Who understands the challenge better than the architect of India's glorious campaign, skipper Harmanpreet Singh, the man who has been shouldering the dual burden of the side's leader and primary goal-scorer without a complaint. The key for the team in a tricky scenario like that in the final was to remain unfazed, Harmanpreet said. "We had decided before the match that whether we are leading or trailing, our gameplay should not change. We have to remain mentally strong. We exhibited teamwork, trust and discipline to mount this comeback," he added.
All said and done, the tournament was merely a dress rehearsal to the real deal. The Asian Games is where the stakes will truly be high, with a direct Olympic berth up for grabs. Fulton is acutely aware of that. "We played great hockey here, but at the end of the day, it's not the Asian Games. So our feet are firmly on the ground. We have won this tournament, but if you said to me, 'Win the Asian games and lose this final', I would obviously say we win the Asian Games," the coach remarked candidly.
Nevertheless, India seem equipped well enough to scale the Asiad peak, and one of the most important reasons for that is their ever-improving fitness. While Fulton feels there's still some distance to traverse there, he believes the team's current fitness levels ensure that it can compete with the very best as an equal. "There's no guarantee that you'll win if you are fit, but you will definitely not be winning many games if you are not. Any team that plays us knows we're really fit, and that they'll have to match us in all four quarters," he said.
The physical prowess translates to mental fortitude as per the coach. "We can still get fitter, stronger but the most important point is that mentally, you start to believe that you have one more gear. We showed tonight (on Saturday) that we can do that," Fulton said.
And then there are the stick skills. Among many others who shone, midfielder Manpreet Singh was a force to reckon with all through the tournament. His aggressive forays and penetrative assists proved to be game changing on several occasions. Manpreet attributed his stellar show to Fulton and the defenders.
"Coach gave all three of us defensive midfielders - me, Vivek (Sagar Prasad) and Hardik (Singh) - the freedom to express ourselves. He told us to use our skills and create attacking openings. The three of us combined well. We got full support from the defenders too, and as a result, we could distribute the ball forward effectively," Manpreet said.
There are still some areas that need addressing, for instance the cropping up of glaring defensive errors from time to time, the need for better field-goal conversion, and the clumsy fouls that often lead to cards in critical moments. But for now, it is time to rest and recover. "It's been a fantastic squad effort. We have been on the road for 24-25 days (tour of Spain before the ACT). We now go our separate ways for a break, and it is well deserved," Fulton signed off.
