"Indian defenders need to be compact in the circle" - Ex-hockey captain Mohd. Riaz gives advice to India for Spain clash at Olympics 2021
It was a day to forget in Indian hockey history. The Indian team put up an insipid display as Australia ran riot, sending India to a 7-1 defeat in the Pool A Olympics 2021 match in Tokyo on Sunday.
Both teams started well, the early exchanges were relatively even, but everything changed when Australia’s Daniel Beale scored in the 10th minute of the match.
Strikes from Jeremy Hayward, Flynn Ogilvie and Joshua Beltz gave Australia a 4-0 lead at half-time as India were left to ponder on their mistakes.
India did make inroads in the second half and pulled a goal back through Dilpreet Singh, but a Blake Govers double killed any hope of a fightback from Graham Reid’s men. Tim Brand added insult to injury when he scored with a stylish finish nine minutes from time.
Read: Experts cite bad day at the office, feel India will return stronger after 1-7 mauling against Australia at Olympics 2021
As India gear up to meet Spain in their next match, former Indian captain and Olympian Mohammed Riaz threw light on how the Indian team could bounce back from the demoralizing loss and prepare for the remaining matches.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Riaz said India must go back to the drawing board only to take the positives out of Sunday’s encounter. He said:
“India played well in the first quarter. It was only after they leaked soft goals, the team’s spirit was dented. The team must forget that the match against Australia had happened and the positives should be spoken about.”
Australia were never going into the Tokyo Olympics labeled as a strong team. They finished a dismal fifth in Rio de Janeiro and won by two goals against Japan in their opener a couple of days back.
The rise of European teams has also taken the limelight away from Australia. However, working tirelessly behind the scenes, Australia returned to their old selves against India - attacking and counter-attacking at will.
Shaky Indian defense
The Indian defense too helped Australia in their pursuit. The defense was anything but compact and man marking seemed to be an alien concept while their spirit gave way to timidness.
India will play Spain on Tuesday and a positive result will mean; India will be on course for a top-four finish in the group. India's defense, midfield and forward line must work like a well-oiled machine if they are to have any chance of winning the match.
Riaz didn’t mince words when asked about the Indian defenders. He said:
“They are supposed to be compact and not be running around directionless. A tight marking in the circle is a must. The defense has to be compact and it should be concentrated on the center. Australia scored two easy goals from the edge of the circle in the center. No team gives so much room in the center. This gives control to the opposition and that is what had happened.”
Australia created pressure on India with a relentless attack and made sure the Indians often lost possession of the ball. Riaz feels India must learn the tricks of the trade. He explained:
“The team must put pressure on the ball carrier relentlessly. The way what happens is, the player’s head drops down in an attempt to retain the ball and he cannot see forward and accelerate. He will eventually lose the ball. However, this attack cannot be a single-man attack. There has to be a support from the teammates to mark the opponents properly, else, the attacker will easily pass it to his teammate and move on.”
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Positives for India
If there was one statistic that would be of a positive for India, it was the number of entries India made into Australia’s ‘D’. However, India lost the ball due to a water-tight defense and an inexperienced forward line didn’t help India’s cause either.
Riaz, however, said India must work more on their ball control. He said:
“India has to work on off-the-ball running. It is like making more space when you receive the ball and that in turn gives room for a prolonged possession of the ball. It was missing against Australia.”
Like Riaz and numerous fans and critics alike, India must hope for a new and a fresh start against Spain on Tuesday. It might mark a "new beginning" in Indian hockey.
Also Read: India Olympic hockey points table: Pool A and Pool B full standings