Tribune News Service
Indervir Grewal
Rourkela, January 12
Harmanpreet Singh’s calm demeanour could not hide the nervous energy bubbling underneath. The significance of the occasion is not lost on the Indian captain.
“You get one chance in four years. When we talk among ourselves we know how important it is for us,” Harmanpreet said about the importance of a World Cup.
Even as Harmanpreet talks about the pressures of being the host at a World Cup, there is also steeliness in his gaze, assuredness in his words. He resembles a person who has tasted success, but also someone who knows how quickly it can fall apart.
Four years ago, at a venue just over 300km away from here, Harmanpreet had witnessed the aspirations of the team unravel in one evening. India had come into that World Cup as the favourites — at least in their own minds. There was fire in their eyes, bounce in their step and bite in their words. Everything was going as planned – they reached the quarterfinals as the group winners – until it all came crashing down. The 1-2 defeat to Netherlands was an anticlimactic end for a team that was high on expectations of a first major medal in decades. The team found the defeat difficult to swallow, with coach Harendra Singh and captain Manpreet Singh lambasting the umpiring.
Second chance
Four years later, Harmanpreet’s team has got a rare second chance to right the wrongs. “We don’t know when we will play a World Cup again in India. It’s a good opportunity for us,” Harmanpreet said.
India again have the home advantage. They are again among the favourites. This time, though, they wear the tag of being the Olympics medallists; and they have been soaring since the bronze at the Tokyo Games, finishing third in the Pro League and second in the Commonwealth Games last year. “Last year’s performances were good, the team is doing well. The experience is there, the fitness is also there,” Harmanpreet said.
God of small things
However, Harmanpreet is not getting ahead of himself, saying that the lessons of the last World Cup were still fresh in the players’ minds. According to him, it was the attention to the small details that proved to be the difference between a win and a loss.
“We talked about that and shared that experience within the team. It was the small mistakes – not getting the stick down in time, not putting enough pressure on an opposition player. With the ball, it’s about patience — you should know when to keep the ball with you, when to rotate and when to go for the attack. If you compare from the last World Cup, we have improved on these things. We have worked on all that,” he said.
“The right thing is to focus from the first match and play according to our individual responsibilities. If we do that, then there is a good opportunity for us to win this World Cup,” he added.
India coach Graham Reid said it was key for the team to learn from past experiences. “We had a shirt presentation ceremony. It was getting everybody used to the fact that we are going to be playing the World Cup. It is PR Sreejesh’s third home World Cup. Experiences like that we shared with each other. It was good and I think the boys are excited and ready to go,” he added.
The fans would be hoping that this time the team’s confidence and experience could get India a medal, if not a gold, at home.
India’s biggest roadblocks
World No. 1 Australia will be the team to beat at this World Cup. Bronze medallists at the last edition and finalists at the Tokyo Olympics, the Australian team is primed for
glory. Their biggest rivals will be the defending world and Olympics champions Belgium, who are by far the most experienced side in the tournament, and Netherlands. The Dutch, though a young side, have been turning heads over the last year, claiming the Pro League title. Argentina and Germany will be the dark horses.
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