India looking for final flourish

After struggling in the initial stages and then winning the last two matches to enter the Champions Challenge hockey final, favourites India are looking to take that vital step on Saturday and win the tournament and clinch a place in the 2002 Champions Trophy.

If India win, it will be their first major triumph since the 1998 Asian Games gold medal. Of course, India, only recently won the junior World Cup in Hobart.

For South Africa, the Champions Challenge has been an impressive outing. After qualifying for the 2000 Sydney Olympics and then being withdrawn from the tournament by their National Olympic Committee, which felt the team would not be able to put up a good show, they have proved that they are up there among the best.

The coaches of both the finalists are wary of predicting the outcome of the final. Yet, in so many ways, both echo the same feelings.

"If we are able to convert our chances, then I don't see India losing," says coach Cedric D'Souza.

His counterpart, Wendell Domingo, says if they are able to hold off India in the early stages, then they can go ahead and make a match of it.

Ultimately, it will come down to what the Indian forward line does with the chances they create in the South African circle.

Baljit Dhillon has been playing a lot withdrawn and has not ventured much into the striking circle. Which has left Deepak Thakur, Gagan Ajit Singh, Prabhjot Singh and veteran striker Dhanraj Pillay the onus of getting goals.

Dhanraj is in sparkling form but has not played as central striker yet, or even as a freewheeling forward, a role he relishes. The Indian team management would do well to let him play as per his liking as he has the ability draw the rival defence towards him with his quick bursts of speed and stickwork, and leave gaps for his team mates to exploit.

D'Souza, however, says it is not to stifle Dhanraj that he is being played as an outside right but to keep the rival defences guessing.

"But against South Africa, we will play according to the situation and see how each player fits in."

The Indian midfield has been rather off-colour. Thirumalvalvan, Sukhbir Singh Gill, Vikram Pillay and Bipin Fernandez just haven't been able to stamp their authority thus, forcing Baljit Dhillon to fall back and become play-maker.

With India's two top defenders, Dilip Tirkey and Dinesh Nayak not playing this tournament, the midfield too has to fall back and help the defence, where the young Jugraj Singh and Kanwalpreet Singh, sometimes out of sheer in-experience, have made basic errors.

Knowing South Africa's penchant for withstanding pressure, India would do well to play four forwards upfront so that pressure is never eased. Also, the South Africans don't come up often for fear of leaving gaps in their defence.

This is not to say that Mike Cullen, Justin King, Ken Forbes and Craig Fulton don't have the talent to break through the Indian defence. In their earlier league encounter, India were held to a 2-2 draw by South Africa with Cullen looking very dangerous on the break. South Africa came back to equalise after India were up 2-1.

In the final, India may miss out the services of Daljit Singh Dhillon, who has two yellow cards to his name. A final word on Dhillion taking the field rests on the tournament officials.

That would make life tougher for D'Souza as he would have to play Fernandes or look to Sabu Varkey, who has completely recovered from the viral fever which afflicted many Indian players.

Goalkeeper Jude Menezes looked unsure in the earlier matches but came back brilliantly against Argentina. The same can be said about the entire team with respect to consistency.

It is this inconsistency that South Africa would like to exploit. Unless, India decide that it is their right to take the Champions Challenge Cup home and with it a ticket to Cologne for the Champions Trophy.

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