FIH Champions Trophy: Harendra Singh wants aggressive approach against Australia

Coach Harendra Singh interacts with his players recently. Pic/PTI

Harendra Singh's shouts reverberated across the main pitch here at the Hockey Club in Breda. He egged on the boys, pushed them and wanted more intensity. On a day of bright sunshine with the stadium bathed in it warmth and glow, the Indian national team, sitting on top of the table with six points was putting in a comprehensive training session.

It's been a two-day rest period before they take on World Cup champions Australia today in what could be a needle game in deciding the approach to the podium. With wins over Pakistan (4-0) and Olympic Champions Argentina (2-1), India would push that extra in extracting another three points; making a top three finish look that much easier.

It's not going to be easy. Against the Aussies, it's never easy. "And why should it be easy?" asks Harendra. "My instructions are very clear. Play freely. Let's be aggressive and press. If we feel negative, the result would be similar."

The numbers are never great when it comes to head-to-head with the Aussies: Matches played 122, won 22, drawn 17 and lost 83. In the compact style that India plays now, tightening defences and using a four-man midfield with a lone forward upfront, switching positions and plans along the way has somewhat thrown off teams. And as Harendra says, "It's a four-nation tournament from now on and we need to show we belong."

Tactical analyst and the man responsible to increase the percentage of India's PC conversion, Aussie Chris Ciriello is quietly confident. "India is a world-class team and the averages of the conversion will go up." Harmanpreet Singh, who flicked home against Argentina, says that all the training sessions before the CT have made the team defensively solid but not with a defensive mindset. "We love to attack and the coach has given the players a free hand in expressing ourselves on the pitch."

Also Read: India hockey coach Harendra Singh enjoys pressure, wants boys to end 2018 on a high note

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