Experience is overrated, we have to be at our best, says coach
ROURKELA: Most teams will look to punch above their weight in the group stage of the World Cup and hosts India will have to ensure they are not the punching bags for teams ranked lower than them. India, recently relinquished the fifth position to England and went one rung below in the FIH rankings. Others in Group D – Spain (8) and Wales (15) are ranked below the home team.
These numbers may count for little on the field of play, but India have a storied history of losing to underdogs. One can't forget the 2000 Sydney Olympics heartbreak and the draw against Poland, which put India out of the semifinals or the 6-7 loss in penalties to Malaysia in the 2018 Asian Games semifinals in Jakarta.
While their struggle against South Africa has been witnessed on more than one occasion, the 2-5 loss to France in the FIH Pro League last year is still fresh in memory.
Spain have come into the competition with a young and inexperienced side while Wales are greenhorns in the competition. Incidentally, Spain had beaten India 3-2 in the FIH Pro League in Bhubaneswar last year.
Indian head coach Graham Reid is aware that there is no room for complacency. "Beware of the youth, they have the ability to perform much higher than what they think they can and there is no fear of losing. You have to watch out for those sorts of teams. I think sometimes experience is a little bit overrated, especially in a big tournament like this. We just have to play our best. That's the key to this tournament for us," said the Australian.
Goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, skipper Harmanpreet Singh, midfielder Manpreet Singh and strikers Mandeep Singh and Akashdeep Singh form the core of the team and it is important for them to marshal their resources. Players like Vivek Sagar Prasad and Lalit Upadhyaya are returning to the fold after injuries while the likes of Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Sukhjeet Singh and Abhishek Pal are lacking in big stage experience.
Conceding last-minute goals and penalty corners have to be arrested and the training stints with drag-flick expert Bram Lomans and goalkeeping coach Dennis van de Pol last month may hold India in good stead.
Harmanpreet believes the team has chiselled the rough edges of their game. "Last World Cup, we lost in the quarterfinals. We talked about that and shared that experience with the team. Small mistakes, one step, stick down, don't jump... If you compare from the last edition, we have improved on these things, especially the counter-control our coach talks about," pointed out the captain.
From the lessons stems the confidence that the Cup may well come home. "Our performances last year were good and the team is doing well. We have the experience and fitness. The right thing is to focus from the first match and play according to our responsibility. If we do that, then there is a good opportunity for us to win this World Cup," added Harmanpreet.
