Hockey
Attack, tactics, mental solidity: India heads to Asian Games as favourite
India will head to Hangzhou as the favourite following its near-perfect display in Chennai, where the Men in Blue not only won the Asian Champions Trophy but was also the only unbeaten side.
Indian men's hockey team won the Asian Champions Trophy just when it mattered the most. With the team's next assignment being the Asian Games in China, coach Craig Fulton could not have asked for a better preparation than this.
The Men in Blue also topped the data chart, scoring whopping 29 goals - 16 of those came from penalty corners, the most by a team. And their 12 field goals were nearly as many as the total goals scored by three teams.
In the final, when India was playing Malaysia, a team which earned the epithet of Speedy Tigers for operating quickly and swiftly, India faced the biggest test of its character. What surprised India was Malaysia's improved show after getting hammered 0-5 in the league game.
True to its quality, Malaysia rattled India with its speed game and took a massive 3-1 lead by the end of the first half. But while doing so, Malaysia also ran into India's battered pride.
Fighting spirit, improved stamina
It was after half-time the game made a tectonic shift.
Despite boasting of a towering lead, Malaysia was caught in the middle of an Indian onslaught. After the half-time break, India, who looked outpaced in the first two quarters, appeared as a completely changed side, displaying their intent for fighting under mounting pressure.
With India changing its playing style, shedding aside its defensive mindset, Malaysia felt rattled under relentless attacks, choreographed by Craig Fulton from the dugout and executed by his trusted midfield trio of Vivek Sagar Prasad, Hardik Singh and Manpreet Singh.
Fulton's tactical switch midway through the game outfoxed Malaysia, who could not fathom the fact that the same Indian players, who struggled to find their rhythm in the first half, came charging towards the 'D Box' from all corners in pursuit of the goals.
Such was the intensity and sharpness of their attack that India scored twice in the space of 20 seconds to draw level 3-3 and dented Malaysia's confidence and swung the momentum in their favour.
In the dying seconds of the final quarter, India snatched the winner, when captain and drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh converted a penalty stroke, and completed a magnificent turnaround to reclaim the Asian Champions Trophy with a 4-3 win.
Given this come-from-behind win and high-yielding results against Japan, China and Pakistan, it is imperative to say that India, with its comeback calibre and penchant for scoring goals in high numbers, as evident throughout the championship at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium, would head to Asian Games as the favourite for the gold medal.
Acing tactical brilliance, mental strength
In any case, if its opponents wish to alter India's fate, they will need to do something extraordinary to knock this Indian team out of the top honour.
The gulf in quality between India and its Asian opponents became as clear as day at the Championships, further strengthening India's bid for the gold medal. Moreover, India will be buoyant by its rise to the third spot in the FIH world rankings on the back of this performance.
In India's fightback against Malaysia, what was also evident was its ability to make swift tactical transitions midway through a game, emphasising India's improved physical stamina and mental strength, brushed up by two South Africans - Fulton and mental condition coach Paddy Upton.
While Fulton has successfully added a layer to India's attacking game, Paddy's vast experience and understanding of the Indian psyche have turned out to be a boon for India. He has ironed out any inferiority complex in players' minds to enable them to fight adverse situations.
While Asian Champions Trophy served as a dress rehearsal for all the teams, it will be interesting to see how India reacts when it faces a situation like that of the final in the Asian Games, which by merit and eminence is the grandest event for any sport in the continent.
In 2018, India lost to Malaysia in the semifinal in the shootout after a 2-2 draw. This time, India being the favourite, will vow to eliminate such obstacles and seal a direct spot in the Paris Olympic Games. Else, it may have to walk on the bumpy road of playing a qualifying tournament in Pakistan.