Misgivings over the composition and strength of the Indian team have been proved misplaced. The performance of the squad in the Azlan Shah hockey tournament is impressive, even exceeding expectations.
Save for the mis-step against Korea in the opener, the Indians have experienced exhilarating moments against Great Britain, Australia and their conqueror at the Guangzhou Asian Games — Malaysia.
The highpoint so far has been the 3-1 verdict against Great Britain, easily the outstanding combination here. If it goes back without the trophy that will be a great surprise for many an analyst.
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Heartening in India's showing thus far has been the performance of the gangling Rupinderpal Singh. Apart from the proficiency exhibited in penalty corners, he has proved his mettle in interceptions and timely clearances.
The best part is that he capitalises on height advantage, much better than the more famous Sandeep Singh. He is destined to serve the country for long, and the selectors cannot keep him away from focus. More matches will make him an asset.
Roshan Minz, Sunil and Mujtaba have also contributed immensely. So have the Pillays — Vikram and Vikas — along with the dependable Mahadik in the backline. The goalkeepers — Adrian and Chettri, the latter in particular — have excelled in their work.
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Harendra's concern should be the tardy form of Shivendra in attack and Gurbaj in mid-field. Shivendra's role so far has been very disappointing. Gurbaj has been patchy putting enormous pressure on Arjun Halappa in the pivotal spot.
High expectations
In the wake of the good showing so far as the defending champion, the expectations are heightened as India prepares to lock horns with Pakistan on Wednesday.
Pakistan faltered badly against Australia on Monday. The 5-2 defeat exposed many a chink in its armour.
Predicting the verdict of an Indo-Pak. contest is akin to guessing the weather. Statistically, India has the advantage, having won all the four previous encounters — New Delhi World Cup (4-1), Azlan Shah (4-2), CWG (7-4) and Asian Games (3-2) in 2010. But figures have no relevance in an India-Pakistan tie.
Can Pakistan break this sequence for India? This is the poser waiting for an answer on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the intensity of competition is picking up as the pace for reaching the summit increases. Great Britain looks firmly ensconced, followed by the Aussies, who are improving match by match, shrugging off the “rustiness” that coach Charlesworth is anguished about.
It is difficult to recall a weaker Korean outfit in any competition.
The frustration of the host, Malaysia, without a point after three matches, can well be imagined. The 5-2 defeat against India was a humiliation hard to stomach for any aficionado here.
The following is the position of teams after Tuesday:
Great Britain: Played 4, Won 3, Drawn 0, Lost 1, Goals scored 10, Goals against 7, Points 9: Australia 3-2-1-0-8-3-7; India 4-2-1-1-11-7-7; Pakistan 4-2-0-2-11-12-6; Korea 3-1-1-1-6-7-4; New Zealand 3-0-1-2-4-8-1; Malaysia 3-0-0-3-4-10-0
Wednesday's matches: New Zealand v Malaysia (1-35 p.m. IST); Australia v Korea (3-35 p.m.); India v Pakistan (5-35 p.m.)