Five Things We Learnt From India's Performance Against Ireland

Strikers give India some hope

Ramandeep Singh’s performance was a bit lacklustre but Thimmiah and Sunil were impressive

Though the strikers did not get their name on the scoring sheet, their performance gave Indian hockey fans something to cheer about after a fine display. It was youngster Nikkin Thimmiah who led from the front and he was equally supported by Sardar Singh and vice-captain SV Sunil. Nikkin was great with his run from left flank where he created two opportunities in the first half of the game. Though his effort did not result in a goal, his performance was a bonus to the team.

Akashdeep Singh, Ramandeep Singh and Devinder Walmiki failed to turn up but the overall performance of the Indian strikers did give some confidence. The addition of Sardar Singh in the forward line did add some creative boost to the team which helped India win 8 penalty corners during the game resulting in three goals from the team. A lot is still desired from the Indian forward line but their opening round performance against Ireland does give some joy to Indian hockey fans.