BHUBANESWAR: If an Indian hockey lover wanted to see one of the most calm and collected defensive plays by an Indian team in recent memory, senior or junior, he or she had to be at the Kalinga Stadium here on Wednesday.
December 1 isn't a date which is fondly remembered in the memoirs of Indian hockey. India were thrashed by Pakistan 1-7 in the 1982 Asian Games final on this date. But that was 39 summers ago. December 1 of 2021 in Bhubaneswar had a different script, and a happy one.
India, the defending champions of the Junior Men's World Cup, beat Belgium 1-0 to take their title defence into the semifinals, where they will now face Germany on Friday.
It was a repeat of last edition's final in 2016. The occasion wasn't as grand, but the fashion in which the home team thwarted Belgium's effort showed a large heart.
The cheers were limited to a mere 1500-odd fans, mostly invitees and academy kids, at the 16,000-capacity Kalinga Stadium. The goal count was bare minimum to decide the outright winner. But the sheer gusto with which the Indian players manned the defence, staying focused and finding spaces to clear the ball or pass it to an unmarked player, has few parallels in Indian hockey history that finds its richness in the skill of scoring goals.
The game began in exactly the opposite fashion. The first meaningful Indian touch on the ball came two minutes after the start, until when the junior Red Lions sprayed the ball around, trying to find space.
Such was the man-to-man marking, led by guiding shouts from two goalkeepers Pawan and Prashant Chauhan, that it could be used as an example by the academy players in attendance.
Coach Graham Reid's fingerprints were all over the blueprint drawn up for this match.
In effect, Hockey India's decision to hand the junior team to its senior-team coach right at the threshold of the tournament now appears to be a masterstroke.
"Every ball, every detail counts. Those were two of my points for tonight...One of the things I talk a lot about is focus. They showed that tonight," Reid told reporters after the match.
(ANI Photo)
When Sanjay dummied the rusher off a penalty corner (PC) in the 20th minute, Sharda Nand Tiwari got a clear sight of the goal. Right after that the ball was in the Belgian net.
That was India's only PC of the game. For a team that scored 12 goals off penalty corners in the league stage, it was strange to see the forwards not really looking to create PCs. That's been India's sharpest weapon in this campaign, led by four drag-flick specialists at Reid's disposal.
In fact, at times the forwards carried the ball a fraction of a second longer, which neither allowed them a shot on goal nor a chance to find a Belgian foot in the circle.
Reid almost conceded that.
(PTI Photo)
"They are Indians, so they want to score goals," Reid said on a lighter note.
"We talk a lot about creating PCs. We have a very good PC battery. I don't shy away from telling the guys to get PCs...(But) When you are unsure, you hold onto the ball a little bit longer, (either) you are nervous or maybe your options are not clear. But I would prefer them to find a foot than carrying the ball just for the sake of carrying," the Australian added.
Finding those penalty corners could be even tougher against the organised German defence in the semis. But India shouldn't take its focus away from their drag-flickers. They are in top form and delivering the goods. So one can't find any flaws as such in Reid wanting them to create a PC rather than taking a shot on goal.
(PTI Photo)
Reid was particularly happy about the focused effort the players put in.
"There were times when they didn't have to run back, but they did," he said to support his view.
Without saying the exact words, the coach called the quarter- final performance a heroic effort; and in a team sport, it's unfair to point at individuals, an outlook Reid always maintained during the historic bronze medal-winning Tokyo Olympics campaign.
If Sanjay and Tiwari executed the variation on PC with a surgeon's precision, goalkeeper Pawan became a crowd favourite for his saves in the dying minutes, when the Belgians took their keeper off and thrust everyone into the Indian 23-yard.
Reid was further prodded by reporters to name his heroes, but he maintained his stance, wording his reply like a solid forward defence.
"It was the fight from the team," Reid said pointing at his major takeaway from the game...With every player, there was focus in effort. As a coach that's what you can ask for."
Reid and Indian hockey may not want to look further than Friday, when India play Germany in the second semifinal; but India's bench-strength and supply chain has surprised every fan and expert alike, despite no international exposure for the juniors in the last two years.
A fan on Twitter put it in words that need a mention and possibly sums up the impact this performance has had on the fans.
"Safe to say India's future in hockey is bright. Podium finishes will soon become a habit."
