A half-time message to stop thinking about the result and focus on the moment helped the Indian women’s team get the result it wanted, a 4-0 win over Malaysia in its opening game of the Asian Champions Trophy hockey at the Rajgir Sports Complex here on Monday.
For the first 30 minutes, India did not seem like the ninth-ranked side in the world taking on a team at a lowly 23rd. The chances were there and the occasional flash of talent but for large parts, the Indian girls appeared to lack cohesion and clarity, especially inside the circle.
India had 10 penalty corners in the first half and could only convert one, Sangita Kumari managing to desperately poke the ball in after an exchange of passes. It did not help that the designated Indian flicker Deepika did not take any direct shot. The clumsiness inside the circle by the forwards made it worse.
“They were too hurried and too quick, they want to do everything quickly and that results in messy finish. They need to settle down a bit and need to get a little more clinical. They have chosen the right skills but they need to make sure that the ball is on the stick at the right moment. Trying to take a shot on the bounce ends in the ball not going into the cage,” Harendra explained.
Preeti Dubey (3R) celebrate with teammates after scoring the second goal against Malaysia during the Women’s Asian Championship Trophy at Rajgir, Bihar. | Photo Credit: R. V. Moorthy / The Hindu
The break did the team good. “I told them to play simply and not take pressure, enjoy the moment. There needs to be emotional control. Our girls think more about the outcome, that’s a mentality we have to change,” he admitted.
The difference was visible soon after as the team’s runs became more fluent and composed. A variation in their 12th penalty corner saw Navneet Kaur passing the ball to Preeti Dubey to deflect in, doubling the lead in the 43rd minute. A minute later, another penalty corner saw Udita smash the ball into the board.
Sangita added one more to her own and the team tally five minutes from time, running a solo on the left from the half line and unleashing a powerful shot that beat the Malaysian goalkeeper and its defence that, till then, had held resolutely against all attack.
“Our priority is to not concede goals, then try and score so in that sense I am satisfied.” Harendra said.
Earlier China, silver medallist at the Paris Olympics but here with neither the bulk of players from that side nor chief coach Allyson Annan, thrashed a helpless Thailand 15-0 while erstwhile continental powerhouses Japan and Korea played out a 2-2 draw.
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