Boom (Belgium): The time has passed when skepticism could have any value in Indian hockey. Too much of that has been thrown around. Nothing much has changed except coaches or players. The scenario, quite grim, still holds out a promise that the bunch playing in Belgium in the town of Boom may turn around things that could look bright in the otherwise bleak landscape of Indian hockey.
It's been just one tournament since Joaquim Carvalho picked up the reins of Indian hockey as coach. But it has to be said that optimism has never been higher. Since that winning run in 2003 under Rajinder Singh Sr, an Indian hockey team has been good enough to hold out promise. And that has come from the performance in the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament where the team, a bunch of young, inexperienced players, held out to snatch a bronze.
In Boom, where a victory would throw India back into the elite six of the hockey playing nations and more importantly, a weaker group to qualify for the big prize - The Beijing Olympics 2008 - pressures are there but the team looks capable of withstanding it.
The core group is talented and has the skills to turn around a losing situation into a winning one. Coach Carvalho must breathe easy when he looks up at Sandeep Singh. For the lanky Shahbad youngster to make a comeback after being bedridden for more than seven months thanks to a freak bullet injury, it must almost feel like a miracle. But Carvalho also must be wary of Sandeep's weakness on the counter. Even after executing a penalty corner, Sandeep invariably has been caught trying to play catch up with the opposition who has been quick on the draw, forcing a counterattack.
But the lanky Sardar, if on target, could be India's biggest match-winner/trump card. Not many know but till the Rotterdam Junior World Cup in 2005, his conversion rate was the highest in the world, hovering at around 60 to 70 per cent. If Carvalho manages to bring Sandeep back into the same orbit, half his job is done.
Tushar Khandker, Bharat Chikkara and Roshan Minz up front have the class and the audacity to dodge past the best. And now also the balance to understand that playing to the galleries doesn't pay in a 70-minute match.
Rajpal Singh is a worry. Highly rated when he came onto the domestic circuit, he hasn't lived up to the promises. Coming from a background where the more defenders you dodged, the better a player you are, he needs to get over this 'dribbling' hangover. If Carvalho manages to rein him in, play him a little inside on the right flank, he could form a potent combination with Tushar. It's a waste if he is played as a right-out as he doesn't have the natural tendency to cut in when it matters.
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On the left flank, Prabhjot Singh, the only 'doubtful' inclusion also loves sprinting down the flank. Over the years, he still hasn't learnt that taking the ball down to the corner flag is not what the team desires; it's the cross and the sudden acceleration into the striking circle that the defenders fear.
Bimal Lakra seems to have got his confidence back and is playing like a cop on a patrolling mission. But the man who could fill in as a brilliant right half is Gurbaj Singh. Included in the team for the Asian Games, he seems to be on the right track if his performance in the Azlan Shah is any indication.
Dilip Tirkey's comeback into the team is great news. Of course, there would be skeptics who would point that Dilip could be disgruntled as he has not been given the captaincy. But the fact remains that Dilip, one of India's greatest deep defenders, is above captaincy ambitions. The thrill of playing for India is all that he craves for.
Prabodh Tirkey's elevation to captain couldn't have come at a better time. A superb player in the left half position, Prabodh mixes aggression with defensive qualities to perfection.
There is no doubt that the team is balanced. But so are the others. And hungry too.
Over the years, India has been known for its skills and attacking fervour. The best thing about Carvalho is that he doesn't shackle anyone. He let's them play the game the way it needs it to be played - with aggression, power and speed.
If these three qualities could be combined over the last week and half of June, India could well be landing at the Delhi airport with the Challenger Trophy and a place in the elite six to boast off.
(Sundeep Misra has been writing on hockey for 17 years. His biography of Dhanraj Pillay has just been released.)
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