India face Germany in first match of the two-test series today
NEW DELHI: Not only the hockey lovers of the city, the coach and the captain of the Indian team are also excited about Wednesday's match against Germany at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. It was at this venue that India's coach, Craig Fulton from South Africa, made his international debut in 1995, while captain Harmanpreet Singh honed his hockey skills on this turf as a teenager more than a decade back. The last international at this stadium was played in 2014.
"It's nice to be back here. We had a function here after the Asian Games and it was quite nostalgic. But to play a Test match against Germany here, it is crazy," Fulton said on the eve of the first match of the two-Test series.
Harmanpreet recalled his training days at the stadium and said the experience helped him grow as a player. "Our junior camp was held here in 2013. Now, I'm getting the opportunity to play an international match here and I'm very excited," the 28-yearold said. "I have very good memories of the venue. Harendra Singh was our coach when we used to train here. I am reminded of the heat of Delhi and the sessions in the afternoon. We used to do a lot of running then. I think that made us stronger and helped us prepare for the future."
Turning attention to the game on Wednesday, both the coach and captain acknowledged that Germany, who beat India in the semis of the Paris Olympics, would be a threat. But the home side is ready for the challenge. "As an opposition, Germany play man-to-man, they can play zonal, they can mix it up in the same half, in the same quarter. So, we will have to adapt. You can play one way for 10 minutes and they play a totally different way… then you must adapt," Fulton said.
Even though Germany is unlikely to field the same team that beat India at the Olympics, Harmanpreet said India won't let their guard down and play at a level that is required against big teams. "There won't be any complacency. The intensity will be same as what we showed at the Olympics."
The two-match series would provide both the teams a chance to gain some ranking points. Germany are currently world No. 2 while India are world No. 5. "I think it is always important to play Test matches. We have some new players ready to debut and we also want to see some of the other players who have returned to the side. We are No. 5 now. So, there is this gap… we are trying to make up. And we hope we can get two good results on home soil."
The coach admitted that despite Harmanpreet scoring goals from penalty corners consistently, his side must look to score more field goals. The Indian captain was the team's highest goal scorer both in the Paris Olympics and the Asian Champions Trophy in September.
"We want to score more field goals. We don't want to put all the pressure on Harman. But the fact remains that defences as well as goalkeepers are getting better all over, there are also more players in the D. It is getting harder to score goals as you saw in Paris. We are looking for ways to try and convert more circle entries into field goals," Fulton said.
