FIH Hockey World League 2017 Final: 5 reasons to be optimistic of India's campaign

#2 Ability to counterattack

Sjoerd Marijne's focus on a fast paced style of hockey should suit India's counterattacking skills

When coach Roelant Oltmans was sacked by the board and Sjoerd Marijne was appointed, it was feared that Indian hockey might go through another turbulent phase. However, Marijne's attacking approach seems to be complementing the skills shown by the Indian players. The team has been looking to adopt a counterattacking approach by sitting deep and employing fast players to attack the opposition.

The attack line consisting of Akashdeep, Mandeep, Lalit and SV Sunil should utilise their pace to create opportunities while the rest sit deep to catch the opposition on the counter. It would be interesting how Marijne's approach works out in Bhubaneswar. It is expected that Marijne's focus on a fast-paced counterattacking hockey should not only suit his team in the tournament but also benefit them in the long run.