|
|
|
The two teams are meeting in the
World Cup for the first time since 1986 |
|
 |
|
 ‘Anti-Pakistan’ sentiment in India, a cause for concern: PHF:
The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF)
is awaiting the outcome of a security briefing in New Delhi on
Friday before
....Read
Full |
|
|
New Delhi:
India could not have asked for a tougher start to their campaign in
the 12th Men’s Hockey World Cup here this coming Sunday. Up first
are Pakistan on the opening day of the fortnight-long extravaganza,
followed by a face-off with Australia 48 hours later.
The
two matches carry a lot of significance, not just in the context of
India’s fate in the tournament but the profile of the sport in the
country.
The
recent shenanigans over payments, captaincy and the charity game in
Chandigarh have been avoidable distractions on the lead up to and
preparations for the World Cup. In a way, history seems to have
repeated.
In
the past, India’s run-up to this quadrennial event has been marked
by controversies almost every single time by way of disputes over
selections, captaincy or such issues that the country’s
short-sighted administrators failed to foresee, much less solve to
everyone’s satisfaction.
This
time around, India would be going in blind, as it were, without the
benefit of playing any top-level international matches in the past
year. As such, coach Jose Brasa’s theories, strategies, permutations
and combinations, remain largely untested. The fear is that these
factors could well influence India’s showing.
India’s game against Pakistan on the opening night will no doubt
generate passion and emotion largely influenced by the political
relationship between the neighbouring nations. The scenario today is
not much different from when the teams met at this very venue in the
1982 Asian Games final that Pakistan won 7-1.
Although the two sides have played each other many times since then
on either side of the border, the stakes have never been as high as
they are now. In the event, the pressure will be on both teams whose
character, unity and mental strength will be put to the test.
Man-to-man, there is not much to separate the two, but one suspects
that penalty corner and set-piece play could influence the outcome.
Pakistan have an ace in the world’s premier drag-flicker Sohail
Abbas while India have three penalty corner specialists including
Sandeep Singh. But India’s best bet would be to strike early and
hard through field goals, and more important, sustain the momentum
through the 70 minutes.
It
needs no super coach to point out that Pakistan’s weakest link is
their deep defence and that could well be the key India could turn
to open the door to success. But then, historically, Indian teams
have been a 65-minute outfit that flagged and fumbled in the dying
moments to concede goals that turned a possible victory into defeat.
Much
of India’s hopes hinge on the players’ ability to stand up to the
pressure and of course, their fitness level that remains a question
mark in the absence of quality international matches in recent
weeks.
Pakistan enjoy a decidedly superior World Cup record having won the
tournament four times, the last being in 1994. In comparison,
India’s only Cup triumph was in 1975 after which they have finished
in the 5-8 positions only twice - 1982 and 1994. They ended 12th in
1986 and only marginally better in 2002 (10th) and 2006 (11th).
The
two teams are meeting in the World Cup for the first time since
1986.
Pakistan in World Cup (11 appearances): Winners in 1971, 1978,
1982, 1994; second in 1975, 1990; fourth in 1973; fifth in 1998,
2002; sixth in 2006; 11th in 1986.
India in World Cup (11 appearances): Winners in 1975; 3rd in
1971; 2nd in 1973; sixth in 1978; fifth in 1982, 1994; 12th in 1986;
10th in 1990, 2002; ninth in 1998, 11th in 2006.
|
'Judiciary in India seemingly working beyond its constitutional
limits':
“Of late, some judgments
pronounced by various courts
Muslim appeasement is a myth: Prof. Oommen: 
Government committed to overhaul
education infrastructure: Patil: 
'Inter-faith dialogue necessary amidst clash of civilisation debate': 
Bureaucrats in Gujarat working like BJP workers, says Ahmad Patel: 
Comment on this article