BHUBANESWAR: On Monday at the Kalinga Stadium right here, the mind wandered again to December 2, 2018. India played Belgium then at the FIH World Cup. The recreation ended in a 2-2 draw after a late goal from the guests. But the play of the match was once Simranjeet Singh's goalmouth conversion, the technicality of which was once inimitably defined by way of coaching legend Ric Charlesworth.
Slightly over six months from that day, Graham Reid, who was once Charlesworth's understudy right through his days as Australia coach, is at the helm of the Indian staff's affairs. Reid went directly to turn into Australia's coach after Charlesworth stepped down, and he'll unquestionably put all the ones learnings into just right use with India at the Road to the Tokyo Olympics.
At the continuing FIH Series Finals, India walloped Uzbekistan 10-Zero to finish on height of Pool A and stormed into the semi-finals. While there is little question in regards to the hosts attaining the final and winning it as neatly, a top-two finish is all they want for a secure passage to the Olympic qualifiers scheduled for later this 12 months.
But what brought the two games six months apart, in opposition to Belgium at the World Cup and as opposed to the Uzbeks at the FIH Series Finals, at the comparison desk was once a contrasting second from both the fits.
While Simranjeet scored in that recreation in December, Ramandeep Singh and Sumit had a chance to do the same on Monday however could not.
At the top of his run from the left of the Belgian put up, Kothajit Singh pushed the move with the precision of a surgeon's scalpel and Simranjeet was once there in a copybook striker's place to deflect the ball in. To understand the technicality of that World Cup second, it's best to revisit Charlesworth's words.
"The hardest thing to do, if you are a striker, is to keep your stick down and to play where the ball is going, when there are all sorts of things happening in front of you. High-quality MS Dhoni play. Like the wicketkeeper has to always keep his hands there (in line of the bowler's delivery), the ball never comes, never comes and suddenly it comes and you have got to be there. Simranjeet was there and his stick was down in the right place. That's the skill of a striker and that's what he did. He was in position ad his stick was low. If he were waiting there upright, it would have gone. But he was down," Charlesworth had said in a chat show at the sidelines of the World Cup.
A ditto play happened on Monday. The help this time got here at the end of Akashdeep Singh's run into the placing circle and he pushed it as exactly as Kothajit had executed, however Sumit and Ramandeep were not "down" like Simranjeet; as a substitute, they were "upright".
CAN'T COMPROMISE ON BASICS
Not that it cost India dear; they went directly to hammer Uzbekistan 10-Zero. But what the above comparison highlights is that you'll never compromise with the basics of the sport. Basics stay the same and any new coach coming in will expect a national staff player with experience to not falter on that count. That must be disappointing section for Reid, who is putting the most efficient conceivable plans in position to convey consistency into India's recreation, on all fronts.
In the 3 pool fixtures, the India strikers were just right at growing opportunities however the conversion fee isn't the place Reid would have anticipated it to be -- both on box makes an attempt and penalty corners.
Interestingly, sooner than Reid joined, the Indian strikers went thru a week-long camp performed by way of former Australian forward Kieran Govers.
"Our main focus is to get better results inside the striking circle," Govers had told IdealNews right through the camp. "Whether it's shots at the goal or penalty corners, I'm trying to help with my knowledge. We have done some goal-scoring drills and I've been able to give some tips to improve their game inside the circle."
Unfortunately, some great benefits of Govers's expertise are but to totally show up in India's conversion fee.
NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT
Of the 26 PC's earned in this tournament, simplest ten have discovered the mark -- 4/nine in opposition to Russia, 2/5 in opposition to Poland and 4/12 in opposition to Uzbekistan. That's a good fortune percentage of 38.5.
The more frustrating side, regardless that, has been the near-misses at the end of a few breathtaking strikes. India's innumerable circle penetrations across 180 mins of game-time have yielded simplest 13 box goals and a few agonizingly shoddy completing from the front-line in opposition to not-too-strong defensive partitions, maybe barring that of the Poles.
It shall be too harsh to query Reid at this nascent degree of his time as India coach. Any new coach will want time to understand the staff, it is needs and how you can paintings at the spaces that call for attention, particularly in a locker room culturally as varied as India's
"We are working with the strikers to get in better positions," Reid said in respond to a query from TimesofIndia.com. "I was happy with the movement that was happening today (against Uzbekistan), and what I am also happy about is that we are creating opportunities. That's always important. Of course, we always want more goals, but those things take time to get better and we will be doing that as often as we can."
"Those are the things that we work on with the players. If there's a positive about that (the play between Akashdeep, Sumit and Ramandeep), it's the fact that we had people on the far post and it was a very good ball from Akash to put across. We will work on that (conversion), and part of that is the technical. That's what we will do when we look again at the video."
The being worried section, regardless that, is that whilst minnows can help you escape with mistakes, large groups don't let the ones move unpunished. And India know that from contemporary studies.
REID GUARANTEES NO LET-UP
The hosts have a three-day smash sooner than their semi-final, which shall be in opposition to the winner of the crossover recreation between Japan and Poland. A prolonged cool-down duration brings its own set of challenges, how you can maneuver thru it to stick in best form.
Reid assured that there could be no let-up in depth.
"I think it's important that we get time to work on stuff. For example, we will be having a fairly quick session tomorrow (Tuesday) night. I don't think motivation will be a problem in the semi-final. The boys will be up for it. I guarantee you that. From the point of view of a three-day break, it is what it is, so we have to utilize it in the best way, stay sharp, train well," said the Aussie.
A knockout fixture after listless games is a difficult affair, and the memory of the Asian Games semi-final loss from closing 12 months shall be in the back of everybody's mind, until India e-book their price ticket to the Olympics.
Slightly over six months from that day, Graham Reid, who was once Charlesworth's understudy right through his days as Australia coach, is at the helm of the Indian staff's affairs. Reid went directly to turn into Australia's coach after Charlesworth stepped down, and he'll unquestionably put all the ones learnings into just right use with India at the Road to the Tokyo Olympics.
At the continuing FIH Series Finals, India walloped Uzbekistan 10-Zero to finish on height of Pool A and stormed into the semi-finals. While there is little question in regards to the hosts attaining the final and winning it as neatly, a top-two finish is all they want for a secure passage to the Olympic qualifiers scheduled for later this 12 months.
But what brought the two games six months apart, in opposition to Belgium at the World Cup and as opposed to the Uzbeks at the FIH Series Finals, at the comparison desk was once a contrasting second from both the fits.
While Simranjeet scored in that recreation in December, Ramandeep Singh and Sumit had a chance to do the same on Monday however could not.
At the top of his run from the left of the Belgian put up, Kothajit Singh pushed the move with the precision of a surgeon's scalpel and Simranjeet was once there in a copybook striker's place to deflect the ball in. To understand the technicality of that World Cup second, it's best to revisit Charlesworth's words.
"The hardest thing to do, if you are a striker, is to keep your stick down and to play where the ball is going, when there are all sorts of things happening in front of you. High-quality MS Dhoni play. Like the wicketkeeper has to always keep his hands there (in line of the bowler's delivery), the ball never comes, never comes and suddenly it comes and you have got to be there. Simranjeet was there and his stick was down in the right place. That's the skill of a striker and that's what he did. He was in position ad his stick was low. If he were waiting there upright, it would have gone. But he was down," Charlesworth had said in a chat show at the sidelines of the World Cup.
A ditto play happened on Monday. The help this time got here at the end of Akashdeep Singh's run into the placing circle and he pushed it as exactly as Kothajit had executed, however Sumit and Ramandeep were not "down" like Simranjeet; as a substitute, they were "upright".
CAN'T COMPROMISE ON BASICS
Not that it cost India dear; they went directly to hammer Uzbekistan 10-Zero. But what the above comparison highlights is that you'll never compromise with the basics of the sport. Basics stay the same and any new coach coming in will expect a national staff player with experience to not falter on that count. That must be disappointing section for Reid, who is putting the most efficient conceivable plans in position to convey consistency into India's recreation, on all fronts.
In the 3 pool fixtures, the India strikers were just right at growing opportunities however the conversion fee isn't the place Reid would have anticipated it to be -- both on box makes an attempt and penalty corners.
Interestingly, sooner than Reid joined, the Indian strikers went thru a week-long camp performed by way of former Australian forward Kieran Govers.
"Our main focus is to get better results inside the striking circle," Govers had told IdealNews right through the camp. "Whether it's shots at the goal or penalty corners, I'm trying to help with my knowledge. We have done some goal-scoring drills and I've been able to give some tips to improve their game inside the circle."
Unfortunately, some great benefits of Govers's expertise are but to totally show up in India's conversion fee.
NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT
Of the 26 PC's earned in this tournament, simplest ten have discovered the mark -- 4/nine in opposition to Russia, 2/5 in opposition to Poland and 4/12 in opposition to Uzbekistan. That's a good fortune percentage of 38.5.
The more frustrating side, regardless that, has been the near-misses at the end of a few breathtaking strikes. India's innumerable circle penetrations across 180 mins of game-time have yielded simplest 13 box goals and a few agonizingly shoddy completing from the front-line in opposition to not-too-strong defensive partitions, maybe barring that of the Poles.
It shall be too harsh to query Reid at this nascent degree of his time as India coach. Any new coach will want time to understand the staff, it is needs and how you can paintings at the spaces that call for attention, particularly in a locker room culturally as varied as India's
"We are working with the strikers to get in better positions," Reid said in respond to a query from TimesofIndia.com. "I was happy with the movement that was happening today (against Uzbekistan), and what I am also happy about is that we are creating opportunities. That's always important. Of course, we always want more goals, but those things take time to get better and we will be doing that as often as we can."
"Those are the things that we work on with the players. If there's a positive about that (the play between Akashdeep, Sumit and Ramandeep), it's the fact that we had people on the far post and it was a very good ball from Akash to put across. We will work on that (conversion), and part of that is the technical. That's what we will do when we look again at the video."
The being worried section, regardless that, is that whilst minnows can help you escape with mistakes, large groups don't let the ones move unpunished. And India know that from contemporary studies.
REID GUARANTEES NO LET-UP
The hosts have a three-day smash sooner than their semi-final, which shall be in opposition to the winner of the crossover recreation between Japan and Poland. A prolonged cool-down duration brings its own set of challenges, how you can maneuver thru it to stick in best form.
Reid assured that there could be no let-up in depth.
"I think it's important that we get time to work on stuff. For example, we will be having a fairly quick session tomorrow (Tuesday) night. I don't think motivation will be a problem in the semi-final. The boys will be up for it. I guarantee you that. From the point of view of a three-day break, it is what it is, so we have to utilize it in the best way, stay sharp, train well," said the Aussie.
A knockout fixture after listless games is a difficult affair, and the memory of the Asian Games semi-final loss from closing 12 months shall be in the back of everybody's mind, until India e-book their price ticket to the Olympics.
FIH Series Finals: India coach Graham Reid 'guarantees' no let-up
![FIH Series Finals: India coach Graham Reid 'guarantees' no let-up]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
June 12, 2019
Rating:
