RAIPUR: A disappointing pool campaign fresh in their minds, an inconsistent India will have to raise their game by leaps and bounds as a dangerous Great Britain await the hosts in the quarterfinals of the ongoing Hockey World League (HWL) here tomorrow.
India are still searching for their first win in the tournament, having finished last in Pool B with a draw and two losses.
Great Britain, on the other hand, topped Pool A with two wins, which includes an upset victory over world champions Australia.
India finished last in Pool B but still progressed to the quarterfinals thanks to the format which allows all the eight participating teams to make it to the knock-out phase.
India’s game has been erratic so far in the tournament. After a lacklustre showing against Argentina, the Sardar Singh-led side produced an inspired performance to hold Olympic champions Germany to a 1-1 draw before witnessing another off day in office, losing 1-3 to the Netherlands.
And India’s chief Roelant Oltmans coach was candid enough to admit that inconsistency is an area which the team needs to address.
“It’s not been consistent enough, that’s clear. We have been good in certain faces. Against Germany we played really well. There’s room for improvement,” he had said.
“For me the most important thing is we need to be patient and take so more time when we execute our plans. Every attack from us has been 100 per cent. The boys are playing the way I want them to play. But too many times we lose possession somewhere on our way.”
Midfield’s performance has been steady in the three matches but it is the finishing from the strikers, which is an area of concern.
The Indian striking force of Akashdeep Singh, Ramandeep Singh, SV Sunil, Talwinder Singh Mohd Amir turned out to big disappointment in this tournament, wasting numerous scoring opportunities. Out of the five, only Akashdeep scored a goal in the 1-1 draw against Olympic champions Germany. (PTI)
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