Preview: The Indian hockey team would be aiming for a fresh start, putting behind the disappointment of a poor Commonwealth Games campaign, when it begins its pursuit of a maiden Champions Trophy title, taking on arch-rivals Pakistan in the opening clash at Breda in Netherlands on Saturday. Asian champions India have never won the Champions Trophy in its last 36 editions but will be hoping to claim the feat in the tournament’s last edition . The best India has fared in the tournament was the runners-up finish at the 2016 event in London, losing to Australia in a shoot-out. [caption id=“attachment_4578531” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]
India take on Pakistan in Champions Trophy 2018 opener. Image courtesy: Hockey India Facebook page[/caption] Claiming the title would be easier said than done for the eight-time Olympic champions as they come into the tournament on the back of a disastrous campaign at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, where they finished fourth. The disappointing finish triggered a change in head coach’s position with Harendra Singh taking charge from Dutchman Sjoerd Marijne, who moved back to his old position as coach of the Indian women’s team. World’s best six teams compete in the Champions Trophy and this year’s line-up include reigning Olympic champions Argentina, world no.1 Australia, Belgium, hosts Netherlands, Pakistan besides India. India will open against Pakistan before taking on Argentina (on 24 June), Australia (27 June), Belgium (28 June) and Netherlands (30 June). Even though India (6th) are way ahead of Pakistan (13th) in the world rankings, but there is hardly any gap between the two teams when it comes to the head-to-head contests. India-Pakistan encounters on the hockey turf have always been full of drama and controversies with adrenaline running high on both the sides. And come tomorrow it won’t be any different as both the neighbours would be eager to prove the other wrong. Going by ranking and results of late, India will start favourites. Over the past year, India had enjoyed convincing victories over Pakistan right from the final of Asian Champions Trophy in 2016 followed by a dominant double victory in the Hockey World League Semi-Final in London 2017 and the Asia Cup in Dhaka where India lifted the title after 10 years. But under former India coach and high performance manager, Roelant Oltmans, Pakistan surprised India by scoring a late equaliser to earn a draw in the Commonwealth Games this year. Incidentally, it was the first match of the tournament and penalty corners will be Pakistan’s preferred weapon yet again. For Harendra, who took over coaching of the senior team for a third time following his last stint in 2009, it will be his first real test ahead of important tournaments like the Asian Games and the season-ending World Cup in Bhubaneswar later this year. “Getting off to a winning start is vital because it sets the momentum for the rest of the tournament. There will be no room for emotions when we take on Pakistan. The team will play against them like any other team where we go for three points,” a strict Harendra said on the eve of the match. “We have prepared well for this tournament and are confident of a good performance. Our focus will be on playing according to our structure and executing our strategies against each opponent without making any errors.” In Gold Coast, India fielded a lot of youngsters dropping a senior like Sardar Singh, but Harendra is in no mood to continue with the experimentation and has selected a strong squad purely on the basis of form in the recent national camp. Goalkeeper PR Sreejesh has got the captaincy from Manpreet Singh, while SV Sunil and Sardar, who is just two games away from reaching 300 international caps, has been recalled to the side. The 2014 Champions Trophy silver medallists Pakistan may have finished seventh at the CWG, but that result hides the fact that they went through the event completely unbeaten. Four draws in the pool phase – against Wales, India, England and Malaysia respectively – saw Pakistan finish fourth in their five-team pool, putting them in the 7-8 classification match where they defeated Canada 3-1. But the founding nation of the Champions Trophy, Pakistan will be determined to add to the titles that they claimed in 1978, 1980 and 1994 – victories that all came on home soil, in Lahore (1978 / 1994) and Karachi (1980) respectively. Pakistan’s squad selected by Oltmans is a blend of experience and youth, with captain Muhammad Rizwan Sr being one of eight players to have surpassed the 100 international appearances milestone. Shafqat Rasool is the most capped player in the group with 190 senior international appearances. In other matches of the opening day, home favourites and European champions Netherlands will play Olympic and Pan American champions Argentina, while reigning champions Australia will take on Olympic silver-medallists Belgium. With inputs from Press Trust of India
Highlights, India vs Pakistan, Champions Trophy Hockey 2018: India begin with 4-0 rout; will play Argentina next
Follow our LIVE blog for all the scores and updates from Champions Trophy 2018 where India go up against Pakistan on opening day.
)
India start brilliantly in the Champions Trophy with a 4-0 win over Pakistan
Super start for new coach Harendra Singh.
India now play Argentina tomorrow in what should be quite a gritty encounter.
That’s it from Breda.
GOAL!
And the match ends at 4-0
Lalit gets the 4th, right on the whistle.
Seconds left now.
India ahead 3-0.
Pakistan miss a trap.
Two minutes left.
India lead 3-0.
Pakistan without the goalkeeper seem vulnerable.
Pakistan still pushing ahead.
But India only need to hold the ball.
Manpreet’s deflection whizzes past the Pakistan goal.
GOAL!
India’s 3rd
Mandeep flips it into an vacant goal.
India lead 3-0.
Pakistan have pulled off their goalkeeper.
They will pay with 11 field players.
India lead 2-0.
Simranjeet Singh, inch perfect pass to Dilpreet and the youngster keeps his cool.
It’s 2-0 with 5 minutes left.
GOAL!
What a goal!
India lead 2-0.
It’s Dilpreet with a flashy goal.
This is getting tense now.
Seven minutes left.
India wasting chances.
Pakistan on full press.
But at the other end, Dilpreet in haste miscues his hit.
India needs to make it count.
Pakistan using the width again.
India living slightly dangerously.
They give away the ball easily.
It’s easy for Pak on the counter.
India had a lovely counter.
But to beat Muhammad Irfan on top of the circle requires more than just a hard hit.
4th and last Q begins.
Pak looking for an equaliser.
India trying to build on that slender 1-0 lead.
End of 3rd Q.
India still lead 1-0.
Just over a minute left in the 3rd Q.
India leading 1-0.
But they need to stretch and create moves.
Too erratic a quarter for them.
Both sides playing erratic hockey.
Losing ball constantly.
Unforced errors.
Could be a goal either side.
India lead 1-0.
Pakistan finding more space in the middle.
Little erratic from India.
Could be dangerous.
Pakistan penetrating now.
They now need a goal.
An equaliser will open up the match.
Perfect tactics by Oltmans to keep the ball away from India.
Pakistan rotating constantly.
India now using the right flank. But they need more penetration.
Midfield needs to create that space.
And Toseeq Arshad just missed a sitter for Pakistan.
No goal for Pakistan.
Video Referral shows ball hit the leg.
India retain their lead 1-0.
And there we go.
3rd Q.
India lead 1-0.
Pakistan have played well.
They have shown pace in the midfield but thanks to a tight Indian defence haven’t been able to penetrate.
At the moment with the scores 1-0 in favour of India, Pakistan still has a chance to come back.
To negate that, India need the goals.
India lead 1-0.
But Pakistan should thank their goalkeeper Imran Butt for making the saves.
Especially the diving one off a deflection from Vivek.
India coming into their own.
Solid defence.
But goals needed upfront.
And that’s the end of the 2nd Q.
It’s half-time.
India lead 1-0.
it could have been a couple of more goals.
Lovely moves upfront.
Sharp chances missed.
But those two PC’s missed might hurt.
What a save from Pakistan goalkeeper.
Manpreet push deflected by Vivek but a full stretch Pakistan goalkeeper saves.
India building it up. But they need more goals.
Pakistan using their left flank constantly.
Bhutta moving in nicely.
But the Indian defence holding well.
Pakistan on the attack now.
Umar Bhutta just smashed a shot wide.
Lalit move followed up by Simranjeet Singh and Ramandeep flicks it past the Pakistan goalkeeper.
India up 1-0.
GOAL!
INDIA LEAD 1-0
India playing too much deep.
They need to move and use the flanks.
India a bit too hasty with the ball.
Need to control the pace.
Muhammad Qadir playing a good match.
Harman error.
Pakistan attack, but Sardar saves the situation. Running in from the midfield and snatching the ball in the deep defence.
Pakistan constantly flicking the ball back.
It’s always a build up.
But India have missed the chance of the match.
Dilpreet pass and Ramandeep cannot trap.
Chances are being wasted.
Error from India.
Ball wasn’t rolled properly.
No space for Harman to fire.
India have wasted their 2nd PC.
And India have their 2nd PC.
Mandeep creates it.
Start of the 2nd Q.
This is a crucial quarter.