The Indian men's hockey team are gearing up to play eight crucial FIH Pro League matches - starting from June 7 in the Netherlands and finishing on June 22 in Belgium. While Harmanpreet Singh and co. have had a break from international assignments, the majority of India's players were involved in the senior nationals as well as at the national camps in Bengaluru.
India's schedule
June 7: India vs Netherlands at 7:30 PM (IST).
June 9: India vs Netherlands at 6 PM.
June 11: India vs Argentina at 6:30 PM.
June 12: India vs Argentina at 6:30 PM.
June 14: India vs Australia at 2 PM.
June 15: India vs Australia at 2 PM.
June 21: India vs Belgium at 7 PM.
June 22: India vs Belgium at 7 PM.
Where things stand in the FIH Pro League
India are currently third behind England and Belgium after their eight matches which they played earlier in Bhubaneswar. Out of the eight, they won five and lost three with 15 points in total, just one behind England and Belgium.
The big picture
Do India realistically have a shot at winning the league? The short answer is yes, but the long answer is that India are facing tough teams away from home - and things can get difficult. Pro League matches are generally used by teams as means to prepare for bigger tournaments like the Olympics or Asian Games, but finishing on top guarantees a place in next year's World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium. While India will face the best of world hockey in their quest for the title, what head coach Craig Fulton would also want is to finish higher up in the table and book their World Cup spot. Netherlands, Belgium and Australia have already sealed their World Cup places on the basis of being hosts and last year's FIH PL winner. If India miss out on World Cup qualification via the Pro League, the next best chance will come in August via the Asia Cup.
If India do get positive results against the best nations in Europe and finish on top, that would be a big statement. Fulton's squad has plenty of experience at the top level and their coach knows they have the capacity to win the title.
Playing eight matches in about 15 days will not be easy considering India will have to switch from Amstelveen, the Netherlands to Antwerp, Belgium after the first four matches. The players have not played away from home in a long time, and they will need to get used to the conditions as well play to their strengths if they want to make a serious charge towards the title. The good news so far is that India did play a couple of matches against Ireland in preparation for the European leg - and won both.
Players to watch out for
Fulton's gone with a strong squad, with all of his senior players making the cut. Harmanpreet Singh will lead the side, as usual, but he's one to watch out for considering he's coming back after a few months of injury rehab. He had played through earlier Pro League matches as well as the Hockey India League with wrist and ankle injuries. Now the captain says he's completely fit and ready to be at his best again, which naturally bodes well for the team. Given his drag-flicking expertise, a firing Harmanpreet will no doubt push India's chances of winning the whole thing.
In terms of youngsters, two names stand out -- attacking midfielder Rajinder Singh and forward Shilanand Lakra. Rajinder impressed in the earlier Pro League matches with his trickery and work rate. He had a good HIL which led to his call up to the national squad and he repaid the faith by impressing in the Bhubaneswar leg of the FIH PL. If he maintains the same standards away from home in tougher conditions, it will go a long way in establishing himself as a mainstay.
Shilanand is also not completely new to the international scene, having played in previous Pro League games, but it's a confidence booster for him to get selected for a tougher European leg. His biggest strength is his game in the D, he's usually good with his positioning and finishing. Fulton will hope on days when his senior forwards are not up to the mark, Shilanand stands up and delivers.
What they said
Harmanpreet Singh, captain:
"Craig has always told us before every match that scoring three or more goals works in our favour, and we should always aim for that. For this, we need at least two Penalty Corners (PCs) per quarter, which we must look to convert. We will be trying to create those PC opportunities and also look to score as many field goals as possible. In this phase of the Pro League, our focus is on field goals, and wherever that's not possible, we will try to convert PCs to gain that three-plus goal advantage."
Craig Fulton, head coach:
"We've already played some top teams in the Pro League-Spain, Germany, England, and Ireland-and are sitting in third place. Now in Europe, we will face Australia, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Argentina. We have good plans in place for each team and are taking it one game at a time. Our aim is to get maximum points from every single game."
Squad
GOALKEEPERS: Krishan Bahadur Pathak, Suraj Karkera.
DEFENDERS: Sumit, Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Harmanpreet Singh (C), Jarmanpreet Singh, Sanjay, Yashdeep Siwach.
MIDFIELDERS: Raj Kumar Pal, Nilakanta Sharma, Hardik Singh (VC), Rajinder Singh, Manpreet Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Shamsher Singh.
FORWARDS: Gurjant Singh, Abhishek, Shilanand Lakra, Mandeep Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Dilpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh.
India's FIH Pro League campaign will be shown on Star Sports and JioHotstar.