India banks on Gagan Ajit & Co.

HOBART, OCT. 18. India will look to its star-studded forward line to deliver the goods in the semifinal clash with Germany at the Tasmanian Hockey Centre here on Friday in the seventh junior World Cup hockey championship as it stands on the edge of qualifying for its second consecutive final.

It will be a repeat of the 1997 edition when India beat Germany in the semifinal after a titanic clash with Rajiv Mishra scoring a breathtaking `golden' goal to clinch the match 4-3.

``It will not be easy. Germans are very tough and are tenacious. Even if they are down by a couple of goals, you can be sure they will come back and for the first time I think our defence will have to play superbly,'' coach Rajinder Singh said.

Thankfully, India does not have any injury scare except for a few bruises and paining joints. Overall, the boys have stood up to the rigours.

Germany, known to play the defensive format against sub- continental teams, will most probably strengthen the midfield and keep three forwards upfront for long crosses and getting penalty corners.

That is where Jugraj Singh, Kanwalpreet Singh and Bikramjit Singh will have to excel over the Germans. Jugraj has a tendency of getting carried away in a skirmish and will have to play with a level head.

A penalty corner given away at a crucial juncture will spell doom and the Germans have the knack of pushing for them towards the end of each half.

Germany maintained its unbeaten record in Pool E scoring a narrow 3-2 win over England to top the pool and enter the semifinals on Wednesday.

The load will be borne by skipper Gagan Ajit Singh, Deepak Thakur, the tournament's highest scorer with seven goals, and Prabhjot Singh. The last named will have to curb some of his individual flamboyance to send balls into the circle.

The Indian midfield has had a topsy-turvy tournament but against Germany it will have to deliver, with Bimal Lakra needing to show the form that he is capable of.

Goalkeeper Devesh Chauhan will have to watch out for the penalty corner variations. Expecting Germany to go in for direct flicks will be courting danger.

All in all, as Rajinder Singh said, ``now is the time that the team will have to show what it is capable of.''

More so because a victory in the World Cup will sustain and revive the movement that junior hockey in India is going through.

In the other semifinal, everything points to Argentina, purely on the tremendous form that it showed in the second round, beating Australia, Holland and drawing with India.

Meanwhile in the other matches, South Africa drew with Scotland 3-3, France defeated Canada 3-0, Malaysia proved too hot for Chile 3-1, Korea beat Spain 5-3 and New Zealand accounted for Ireland 3-1.

- PTI, UNI

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