The Hindu : Too easy but it's too late for India

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 05, 2002

Sport

Sport - Hockey

Too easy but it's too late for India
By S. Thyagarajan

Dhanraj Pillay about to score India's fourth goal past Polish goalkeeper Marcun Pobuta in the World Cup hockey in Kuala Lumpur on Monday. - Photo: Vino John

Japan     2    England   1 
Malaysia  4    Cuba      2 
India     4    Poland    1
Australia 4    Korea     2

KUALA LUMPUR, MARCH 4. It came at the wrong moment of the championship. Yet, the outcome restored a modicum of the prestige and image that India lost so much in the current hockey World Cup. The sequence, bitter and bewildering, needs no reiteration here when India sailed on the path of victory against Poland by a comfortable margin at Bukit Jalil tonight, which saw the first team, Australia, confirming a berth in the semifinal.

Exuding authority, adeptness and the athleticism demanded for the occasion, the Aussies subdued the usually ebullient Koreans by a convincing margin to take their total to 18 points with a perfect score of six played, six won. Korea continues to be in the second place but unsure of its spot in the last four with 15 points and a match remaining against England.

Malaysia with 12 points and a match against Poland to come up tomorrow has a slim chance if England turns the tables on Korea.

A win of some import

A second win for India in three days after all that tragic drama leading to the exit of the chief coach, Cedric D'Souza, and the team coming under a microscope from all sections here, somewhat strengthens the belief that the squad was not lacking in skill but in mastering the situation through that. Even assuming that Poland was not as good it was at Edinburgh, thanks to the decision of the three star players staying away from the competition on account of financial disagreement with the federation, the victory assumed some significance.

An outside chance is open to become part of the 5-8 group. A fifth placing here could be a possibility provided the team gives a sterling performance against Australia tomorrow. At the moment, such a prospect is stretching the exercise a bit far.

India did survive some anxious moments against Poland, the team that cost the nation a place in the semifinal at the Sydney Olympiad, but performed strikingly in patches. The mid- field continued to cause alarm with Sukhbir Singh slipping into a pool of errors often. But India, thanks to the early lead from Daljit Singh Dhillon and from a penalty stroke by Baljit Singh Dhillon was firmly ensconced.

The frontline functioned with some cohesion largely on account of the space that Poland gave the Indians. Dhanraj and Baljit Dhillon threaded their way repeatedly with adequate support from Prabhjot Singh and Deepak Thakur. In fact, the early lead was result of a good workout involving Baljit Singh and Dhanraj with Daljit Singh providing the finishing touches.

Midway through, a quick sally by Dhanraj was stickchecked by Dariuz Malecki and umpire Peter Eldhers showed no hint of hesitation in showing the spot. Baljit Dhillon, reviving memories of his miss a few days ago against the Malaysians, converted without a fuss. One cannot refrain from thinking what course would everything have taken if Dhillon scored at 2-3 on that night.

Poland hit back strongly and put across some flowing moves threatening the defence. That it had three penalty in the first and the same number in the second perhaps conveys the consistency with which the team attacked. Credit is due to the showing under the bar by Devesh Chauhan, and even for Jude Menezes, who had substitute for Devesh who had to attend to a bleeding injury. However, Devesh was beaten by an acrobatic shot by Thomasz Choczaj off a pass from Artur Mikula. Before half- time, Prabhjot Singh pushed in the third goal taking advantage of a pass from Deepak Thakur.

In the early minutes of the second-half, India could have enlarged the lead if Dhanraj been a bit more accurate after dodging quite a few in a solo effort which saw the ball flying over the post. But thereafter, the Indians allowed pressure envelop themselves. At some point, it looked as though Poland may constrict the margin. A thundering drive by Lukasz Wybieralski caught everyone off guard but crashed against the bill-boards behind the goal.

Desperate to minimise the pressure, the Indians erred frequently, conceded three penalty corners, and lost Baljit Singh Saini for an yellow card suspension. In the closing minutes, Dhanraj scored a splendid goal off a pass from Baljit Singh Saini.

Yamabori brilliant for Japan

It took over an hour for England to realise that the ground was slipping under. So benumbed the team was after Japan shocked the defence with two splendid goals through Yamabori. True, proficiency in stick work or sysmatatisation was not the strong point for Japan. But what enhanced the level of its performance was persistence and the belief that a match is not lost before the while is over.

From day one, Japan has proved that it is not as easy as an opponent as was assessed in some quarters. Fit and enormously gutsy, the Japanese leave nothing to chance. When the chances surfaced, they grabbed them with both hands and fully deserved their victory in Pool B.

The English must be wondering what went wrong and where. It was clear as crystal for everyone that the defence was below par, and goal-keeping even below that. Yamabori made capital out of poor anticipation of Simon Mason to slot the lead and within a few minutes slotted the other from a penalty corner. One would not have been surprised if the margin were to a tennis score; for, the Japanese created openings galore to expose the vulnerability of the mid-field and the deep defence.

When England began to attack in unison a good deal of time had been lost. Yet Dave Mathews hit a penalty corner with five minutes remaining from the hooter. England did pressure the Japanese in the dying minutes, but that too late in the day.

No cakewalk for Malaysia

If the Malaysians thought it was a cake walk against the Cubans, it did not turn out to be so. The Cubans led twice before surrendering the initiative to the host which, like 1975, enjoys a fine chance to be in the last four with a tally of 12 points. Chairl Anwar, Fariuz Mohammad, Kuhen Shanmuganathan (2) scored for Malaysia while Rodriguez Garcia, who put the team in the lead, and Rodriguez Hernandez, netted for Cuba.

Scott Webster began the Aussie assault which was strengthened by the two goals by Jeremy Hiskins and one by Troy Elder. For the Koreans, Song Seung Tae scored midway in the first half and Lee Jung Seon eight minutes from end.

Tuesday's matches: Belgium v New Zealand (5-35 a.m. IST), Pakistan v Germany (6-05 p.m.); South Africa v Netherlands (1-35 p.m.); Cuba v Japan (2-05 p.m.); England v Korea (3-35 p.m.); Australia v India (4-05 p.m.); Argentina v Spain (5-35 p.m.); Poland v Malaysia (6-05 p.m.).

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