Australians are not unbeatable, high time Indian hockey introduces a counter system to beat them | Hockey News – Times of India
Jagbir Singh is a former India field hockey player who represented India in two Olympics in 1988 (Seoul) and 1992 (Barcelona). He was also part of the bronze medal winning Indian team in the 1986 Asian Games and the silver medal winning team in the 1990 Asian Games. He is a popular hockey commentator and expert on TV and a hockey columnist. He was a recipient of the Arjuna award in 1990.
Indian hockey was at its all-time high at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 when the Indian men’s team entered the finals, while the Indian women had already won a bronze medal defeating the defending champions New Zealand in a penalty shootout and turning the clock this time in their favour. Viewers watching other sports were all glued back to hockey for the India vs Australia men’s hockey final, a match not many would now like to remember, not just because of the scoreline but also the complete surrender by Team India.
It’s not that the Australians have spared any team in world hockey, but in the last few encounters when playing against India, they have looked so charged up as if they are still trying to avenge an old defeat when they lost to India 12-1 way back in 1935.
Honestly, when India played against England in the group-stage match, despite leading by a convincing margin at half-time, the team conceded easy goals to allow the score board to read 4-4 towards the end. It reflected on the team’s easy-going attitude in the tournament, which also continued against South Africa in the semi-final. Repeatedly allowing solo runs not only to England but South Africans until a shot at goal or conceding a penalty corner highlighted the existing problems and lack of understanding between the players while defending. Not to forget the long list of yellow and green cards received by the Indian players due to casual tackles and on-field behaviour, resulting in the team suffering overall.
Continuing with this style of play, the writing was clearly on the wall when facing Australia, who are fast, fit and furious, showing no mercy whatsoever and forcing themselves on the opponents right from the start, testing the self-confidence of Indian players with an aggressive and attacking style of hockey.
Unlike other teams, India will always have few players who are game-makers and the team’s success or failure revolves around them. The Aussies knew very well which Indian players can make or break the game, and they did not shy away from frustrating or shadowing those players in the midfield and choked the attackers with close marking, giving no space even to breathe, forget about earning a single penalty corner (PC) to utilise the attacking PC power India was so proud of.
India had no plan B in place. There was no visible strategy that could change the game or help them come out of the constant attack and regroup in any quarter. At no point were the players communicating or calling when in need while defending and no support was available while moving in attack, resulting in complete isolation and making it easy for the Aussies to defend one to one or double-tackle.
For Australia, despite being the favourites to win, the commitment was visible, as each Australian player defended Indian attacks with responsibility, as if he was the last defender, resulting in not even a single penalty corner for India, something India rued and could have changed the face of the match. And when the Aussies were on the attack, they were always pushing the Indian defenders onto the back foot and targeting the players who were slow on their feet. At times, they even outnumbered the blue shirts inside the circle, standing behind the defenders at both the posts, making it very difficult for the goalkeeper to anticipate.
Matches against Australia will always be high scoring when we give them space to move and manoeuvre at will. Despite conceding defeats previously in the knockout matches against the Australians, they were left to use the entire field at liberty and leisure throughout the final, with no Indian cover in defence and follow-up in attack to fill the huge gaps being exploited during the turnovers. It was a well-executed game plan to overstretch the Indian defence through the wings until the attacking base line, scoring early goals and then continuing the same until the end.
While India enjoyed Olympic success from 1928 onwards, it was only in 1956 that Australia made its debut at the Olympics. Understandably, they were often defeated by India until they found a counter system of play, which they have enjoyed over the last few decades, defeating India from time to time.
You can’t beat Australia by adopting the Aussie style, just like in the past nobody could beat India by adopting India’s style. The Australians devised a counter system to get past us. Now it’s high time that we introduce such a counter system to beat Australia.
India, over the past few years has progressed very fast in world hockey and have regained their lost glory, particularly against the Europeans, by defeating teams at regular intervals. The European coaches did help us with a better defensive structure and ways to counter the European teams ,but the same is not happening with Australian coaches. I feel that they are focusing on the attacking style of play, but overall the input that we need to counter Australia is something still waiting to be seen.
This does not at all mean that the Australians are unbeatable. Had they been so, they wouldn’t have just won one Olympic gold medal to date. There are many teams who have pulled them back to the ground. We had closed this gap with Australia in the recent past, whenever we made our defensive structure strong and displayed a confident and cohesive front, moving ahead on calculated counters. We need to bring back that success and remember how we have also defeated Australia in Australia.
The existing group of Indian team players are fighters and players of potential — a team that has been built with a lot of effort and support from all quarters. If this team with amazing talent can bring back an Olympic medal after a gap of 41 years and take the graph of Indian hockey higher, then it is expected from them to play each and every match with full energy, efficiency and effectiveness.
Winning and losing is part of the game, but putting up a good fight, and giving your very best is what people expect from Indian hockey.
Jai Hind!
Indian hockey was at its all-time high at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 when the Indian men’s team entered the finals, while the Indian women had already won a bronze medal defeating the defending champions New Zealand in a penalty shootout and turning the clock this time in their favour. Viewers watching other sports were all glued back to hockey for the India vs Australia men’s hockey final, a match not many would now like to remember, not just because of the scoreline but also the complete surrender by Team India.
It’s not that the Australians have spared any team in world hockey, but in the last few encounters when playing against India, they have looked so charged up as if they are still trying to avenge an old defeat when they lost to India 12-1 way back in 1935.
Honestly, when India played against England in the group-stage match, despite leading by a convincing margin at half-time, the team conceded easy goals to allow the score board to read 4-4 towards the end. It reflected on the team’s easy-going attitude in the tournament, which also continued against South Africa in the semi-final. Repeatedly allowing solo runs not only to England but South Africans until a shot at goal or conceding a penalty corner highlighted the existing problems and lack of understanding between the players while defending. Not to forget the long list of yellow and green cards received by the Indian players due to casual tackles and on-field behaviour, resulting in the team suffering overall.
Continuing with this style of play, the writing was clearly on the wall when facing Australia, who are fast, fit and furious, showing no mercy whatsoever and forcing themselves on the opponents right from the start, testing the self-confidence of Indian players with an aggressive and attacking style of hockey.
Unlike other teams, India will always have few players who are game-makers and the team’s success or failure revolves around them. The Aussies knew very well which Indian players can make or break the game, and they did not shy away from frustrating or shadowing those players in the midfield and choked the attackers with close marking, giving no space even to breathe, forget about earning a single penalty corner (PC) to utilise the attacking PC power India was so proud of.
India had no plan B in place. There was no visible strategy that could change the game or help them come out of the constant attack and regroup in any quarter. At no point were the players communicating or calling when in need while defending and no support was available while moving in attack, resulting in complete isolation and making it easy for the Aussies to defend one to one or double-tackle.
For Australia, despite being the favourites to win, the commitment was visible, as each Australian player defended Indian attacks with responsibility, as if he was the last defender, resulting in not even a single penalty corner for India, something India rued and could have changed the face of the match. And when the Aussies were on the attack, they were always pushing the Indian defenders onto the back foot and targeting the players who were slow on their feet. At times, they even outnumbered the blue shirts inside the circle, standing behind the defenders at both the posts, making it very difficult for the goalkeeper to anticipate.
Matches against Australia will always be high scoring when we give them space to move and manoeuvre at will. Despite conceding defeats previously in the knockout matches against the Australians, they were left to use the entire field at liberty and leisure throughout the final, with no Indian cover in defence and follow-up in attack to fill the huge gaps being exploited during the turnovers. It was a well-executed game plan to overstretch the Indian defence through the wings until the attacking base line, scoring early goals and then continuing the same until the end.
While India enjoyed Olympic success from 1928 onwards, it was only in 1956 that Australia made its debut at the Olympics. Understandably, they were often defeated by India until they found a counter system of play, which they have enjoyed over the last few decades, defeating India from time to time.
You can’t beat Australia by adopting the Aussie style, just like in the past nobody could beat India by adopting India’s style. The Australians devised a counter system to get past us. Now it’s high time that we introduce such a counter system to beat Australia.
India, over the past few years has progressed very fast in world hockey and have regained their lost glory, particularly against the Europeans, by defeating teams at regular intervals. The European coaches did help us with a better defensive structure and ways to counter the European teams ,but the same is not happening with Australian coaches. I feel that they are focusing on the attacking style of play, but overall the input that we need to counter Australia is something still waiting to be seen.
This does not at all mean that the Australians are unbeatable. Had they been so, they wouldn’t have just won one Olympic gold medal to date. There are many teams who have pulled them back to the ground. We had closed this gap with Australia in the recent past, whenever we made our defensive structure strong and displayed a confident and cohesive front, moving ahead on calculated counters. We need to bring back that success and remember how we have also defeated Australia in Australia.
The existing group of Indian team players are fighters and players of potential — a team that has been built with a lot of effort and support from all quarters. If this team with amazing talent can bring back an Olympic medal after a gap of 41 years and take the graph of Indian hockey higher, then it is expected from them to play each and every match with full energy, efficiency and effectiveness.
Winning and losing is part of the game, but putting up a good fight, and giving your very best is what people expect from Indian hockey.
Jai Hind!
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