India need to guard against complacency
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The side may have taken a couple of victories, with their best against Pakistan, but apart from that have not been at the level they ought to have been this time around. The second-highest ranked team in the tournament behind Australia, India should not have struggled as they did against a World No. 9 New Zealand side. The Black Sticks did not have a particularly strong defense at all, with the team having conceded in every game of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
At the teams’ meeting in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, it was the Black Sticks, reigning champions at the Cup, who were fresh off a loss to arch-rivals Australia, with India coming into the match on the back of a 5-1 victory over their own nemeses, Pakistan.
Given this, India should have been able to carry that immense momentum into the match against New Zealand. But the team got too comfortable in their win over Pakistan, and were not at 100% effort in their try against the Black Sticks, who had an uncharacteristically strong attack on the day.
They would take a 1-0 lead against India, with Sardar Singh’s men failing to capitalize on a number of penalty corners. Although Mandeep Singh scored for India in the third quarter, it was an equaliser India would not be able to hold on to for very long; New Zealand scored again and their rivals were completely unable to make up. That win would have found them a direct spot to the finals – and, more importantly, confidence and momentum going into it.
Even their opening match in the tournament – against 16th- ranked Japan was not a straightforward affair, as India would have liked it to have been. Although India won 2-1, they showed significant lapses – including missing out on easy scoring opportunities. The side should also have been able to stave off a Japanese attack, but conceded.
In the final, too, after a strong first half, with India’s attack looking in good form and in a position to up the ante, they lost out in the second to eventually be steamrolled by the Kookaburras.
India are an extremely strong side but will need serious work in remaining grounded on the back of good games in addition to working on specific areas if they are to be in Olympic contention in Rio this year.
