HOCK - EYE HOCKEY COMES HOME

FOUR NATIONAL PRIDE

Sandeep Singh Strikes Twice As India Trounce Pakistan 4-1 To Make Rocking Start To WC

   New Delhi: Who says Indian hockey is dead ? If you were inside the Major Dhayan Chand National stadium on Sunday night and heard the countdown roar as a band of fighting, swinging, diving, rocking Indians in Blue  raced to victory over big rivals Pakistan, you would have wowed to return again.And to learn to love the forgotten boys of Indian sport once again.

        It was a night of rede4mption for the Blue Shirts. India had been buried quietly by Pakistan 7-1 inside this very stadium in 1982 during the Asian Games. They never recovered from there, losing the fans' interest and slipping into oblivion. The 4-1 win in their opening match of the World Cup on Sunday washed away the bitterness of that humiliation. Yes,it was goosebumps night, a match to svour and herish and one to take home with you, to stay with you foreover.

         The signs were all there in the evening. Fans were trooping in, draped in the Tricolour, restless to see magic on the turf. The crowd of 16,000 was mesmerized and went home more than satiated. Holi will certainly acquire a new flavour on Monday.

         A lot of credit for this win goes to the Indian coaching team. It was a great tacical move to rest first goalkeeper Adrian D'Souza and play PR Sreejesh. The idea was to surprise Pakistan's main weapon Sohail Abbas, the drag flick king of the world. Abbas was floored completely and walked away with a lost look in his eyes. Pakistan earned six penalty corners and Abbas could convert only one. That settled it, nice and proper.

        Beyond that , there were too many heroes in the Indian camp. The defenders and midfielders were simply awesome as they kept the ball in possession in the first half,which helped India dictate terms. And when the time to drive the point home came, Sandeep Singh showed why he is feared by mostgoalkeepers in the world. He slammed home two penalty corners. his scorching flicks giving Pakistan goalkeeper Salman Akbar no chance. Butbefore that he set the tempo when India earned their second penalty corner. Sandeep's flick crashed into Akbar's pads and Shivendra Siingh did the rest, slotting the rebound home with glee.

          What struck most was the manner in which Indians went for the ball. They were relentless in their bid to keep the Pakistanis away from the ball, They dived, they lunged, they endlessly, tirelessly.It was fascinating to watch India play possession hockey. No wonder, they were2-0 up at the end of the first half as Pakistan hardly got a good look at India's goal.

         The second half began with a bang as Prabhjot singh scored in a counterattack. It was simply too big a task for Pakistan from there. They did wake up and tried to attack but were foiled well by Srejesh and the Indian defenders. Sandeep's second and India's fouth goal in the 55th minute left nobody with any doubts.

        The fans became noisier, the pace of the game picked yup nd Pakistan slipped into desperation mode. It did yield them a goal but that was that.

           A word for India's Spanish coach Jose Brasa. His use of the rotational substitution was terrific. Rarely has one seen players come in and go out with such frequency. This also speaks for India's bench strength. All 16 are good enough to battle with the best.

         As for the players, there was no lack of effort on any count. Sardara Singh, captain Rajpal soingh, Shivendra Singh were all very good. Midfielder Bharat had a great game.

        It is still early days in the tournament jbut it is not the time to look ahead now, it's a time to celebrate. Bring out the colours!