FIH Pro League: Graham Reid’s India goal to hit the bottom operating in opposition to Spain

When he was requested in regards to the cause for India’s enchancment within the latest years – from shedding within the quarterfinals of the 2018 World Cup to ending on the rostrum in Tokyo – Max Caldas had a one-word reply: “Graham.”

The Spain coach was speaking about Graham Reid, who, quickly after the World Cup, stop as Caldas’s assistant on the Netherlands and took over India.

Caldas’s glowing remarks come at a time when there have been slight speculations over Reid’s future with the Indian staff. After India have been unable to succeed in the ultimate of the Asian Champions Trophy in December and a shock defeat to France earlier this month, former Hockey India chief and present Indian Olympic Association president Narinder Batra had demanded a proof for the ‘unacceptable’ performances.

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India’s hockey directors have, up to now, been notoriously impatient with coaches for the staff’s below-expectation performances. So, Batra’s feedback instantly sparked rumors about Reid’s function inside the hockey world. For now, although, these rumours have been laid to relaxation. Earlier this week, Reid met Batra and the 2 had ‘detailed discussions in regards to the latest performances and deliberate forward for the Asian Games, the place an Olympic berth is at stake.

It’s on this backdrop that Caldas’s Spain have come calling for Reid’s India. The two groups will play one another twice over the weekend as India’s dwelling leg of the FIH Pro League kicks off. Over the approaching weekends, India will tackle Germany, Argentina and England at Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Stadium. If the Olympic bronze medalists have been working on first gear post-Tokyo, then they’ll must quickly up the tempo in opposition to a few of world hockey’s high groups.

Some of India’s outcomes – the defeat to Japan within the Asian Champions Trophy semifinals after which to France within the Pro League – have come as a shock. “You can say they were a wake-up call,” captain Manpreet Singh mentioned. “You can’t underestimate any team.”

At the identical time, it’s necessary to place them into perspective. At the Asian Champions Trophy, Reid selected to present sport time to gamers who hadn’t performed a match within the final two years. Consequently, half of the gamers from the Olympics squad had been rested. Then, within the first away leg of the Pro League in South Africa earlier this month, the place India performed France other than the host nation, the coach gave debuts to 2 gamers though the core of the staff had returned.

More than the defeats, it’ll be the errors that led to them that can concern the staff. In each these video games, India began poorly after which as they performed catch-up, the gamers turned stressed and annoyed, thus missing the finesse regardless of creating possibilities.

Vice-captain Harmanpreet Singh has urged the gamers to stay ‘switched on’ from the opening minute in opposition to Spain. One assumes that will likely be essential, provided that the Europeans, too, have been gradual starters of their matches.

Like India, Spain have had blended performances of their first two matches of the Pro League season. In the opening sport in opposition to England, they by no means obtained going and succumbed to an embarrassing 6-1 defeat. The subsequent day, they performed a way more disciplined and attacking sport however England snuck in a late aim to win the match 3-2.

Caldas’s groups are identified to play in a structured method, giving little or no area to their opponents. India can anticipate Spain to take a seat again and assault on the counter, somewhat than take the initiative. It’s the sort of sport India haven’t been comfy enjoying. It’ll be a take a look at of persistence, one thing India have lacked within the latest matches.

Women to make dwelling debut

Like the lads, India’s ladies’s staff, too, comes into the doubleheader in opposition to Spain on the again of some blended outcomes. The Janneke Schopman-coached staff suffered a shock defeat to South Korea within the semifinals of the Asia Cup a month in the past, however recovered from that to submit two commanding wins over China within the Pro League.

The ladies’s staff is making its Pro League debut this season and can play at dwelling for the primary time since 2019, after they competed within the Olympic qualifiers. The matches in opposition to Spain will likely be an opportunity for India to gauge their preparations for the World Cup, which will likely be held in July.

With skipper Rani Rampal nonetheless recovering from an harm, goalkeeper Savita Punia will proceed to guide the staff for this weekend’s video games, which can see ahead Sangita Kumari make her worldwide debut.

India vs Spain: Women: 5pm, Men: 7.30pm; Live on Star Sports Network.