By Anand Philar, IANS,
For sure, the hotel floor occupied by the Indian team would have come to life only late Monday morning with the players given some free time following their spectacular 4-1 drubbing of Pakistan in their opening league match of the 12th men’s Hockey World Cup Sunday night.
The Indian players were obviously emotionally drained after the game that had an unprecedented and emotive build-up in the media. Perhaps, coach Jose Brasa would give the boys a rest period and some light practice and video session Monday night followed by limbering up Tuesday morning in preparation for the next big game, against Australia.
Having spent many hours with various Indian teams in the past two decades, on and off the field, one can safely presume that the players will have a feast on offer this day as they rest their limbs and minds, if only for a few hours. After all, despite the scoreline, the pressure never eased.
Sunday night, the Indian team was in the zone and honestly, it has been a while since one saw the players perform with so much intensity and focus. The Indian forwards wallowed in the luxury of acres of space that an obliging Pakistan defence offered. It was an invitation that the hosts grabbed for a resounding victory.
While the goalscorers, Sandeep Singh, Prabhjot Singh and Shivendra Singh, hogged the limelight, the likes of Gurbaj Singh and little Bharat Chhikara contributed as much, if not more, to the success.
Wing-half Gurbaj reminds one of the gifted Jugraj Singh whose promising career was nipped in the bud following a road crash a few years ago. Jugraj stunned the hockey aficionados during the 2004 Champions Trophy in Amstelveen with his delectable stickwork and also penalty corner conversions, two of which helped India beat Pakistan 7-4 after trailing 0-2 and 2-4.
Gurbaj, with his uncanny anticipation and covering besides overlapping runs, was outstanding Sunday night. His many interceptions and ball-holding ability were pivotal to India’s supremacy in the midfield. To top it, he did a fine job of keeping the Pakistani wingers on a tight leash to further blunt the rival attacks.
Likewise, Chhikara was a workhorse in central defence with his unflagging enthusiasm and a willingness to lunge and dive for tackles reminiscent of his peer B.K. Subramani, a half-back of limited ability but lots of courage and who played for India in the 1980s.
Chhikara is a story of a boy from Kanonda, Haryana, who came to Delhi virtually penniless to seek a career in hockey. The wide-eyed but determined boy stayed with a friend for a year as he had no money. Once a week, his father visited him with home cooked food that Chhikara gorged on. Thus, he learnt early to fight for survival and a lucky break with Indian Oil turned his life around.
A team man to the core, Chhikara started off as a forward, scoring many a crucial goal for his team. Currently he is playing in a withdrawn position but joining the raids if situation warrants. Thus, he is an asset and probably Brasa has recognised the utility in Chhikara.
Apart from Gurbaj and Chhikara, India had their heroes in the Vikram Pillay, the other wing-half, and to an extent Dhananjay Mahadik, both of whom did a fine job in bottling up Pakistan.
The hysteria over India’s victory is understandable, but the players will be aware that the tougher matches are ahead. This is a crucial week for India in the World Cup. For certain, space up front will be at a premium as they will be up against better organised teams than the leaderless Pakistan. Thus, India will have to play far better than they did Sunday night if they hope to progress to the semi-finals.
The Pakistan team they outplayed was without leadership. Contributing to their defeat were sloppy marking and lack of creativity among the forwards whose sole aim was not so much to score a goal as set up a penalty corner for Sohail Abbas to convert. And when Abbas failed, twice hitting the crosspiece, it was curtains for Pakistan.
Performances tend to get exaggerated in the euphoria of a big win. There were moments Sunday night, late in the game, when Indian team flagged, but got away unpunished, barring an Abbas conversion. With the Pakistan game out of the way, the head has to rule the heart from now on.