How did India stop Great Britain despite being a player down? Exploring tactical adjustments by Harmanpreet Singh & Co. in Paris 2024 Olympics QF
After the Indian men's hockey team's stunning win over Great Britain in the Paris 2024 Olympics, everyone is raving about PR Sreejesh. The veteran Indian goalkeeper had announced that this will be his last tournament and he has been superhuman with his efforts.
However, another man who deserves a ton of praises is India's coach Craig Fulton. His tactics and strategies allowed India to withstand the British team's assaults against them despite being a player down - that too their main defender.
Craig Fulton's blueprint shines brightest for India at Paris 2024 Olympics
It's always interesting to see how the onset of a new coach affects a team. Craig Fulton's arrival as coach had a profound impact on the Indian unit. He completely changed the playbook for the side.
Graham Reid, the previous coach of India, who had worked under and with the legendary Ric Charlesworth, had a completely different playing style for his team. He wanted India to press hard and high, in a true Australian manner. And it worked.
Under Reid, Indian hockey witnessed a mini-renaissance, where they went from being an average team to one capable of beating any team on their day. The great run that started in 2019, was interrupted by COVID-19, but culminated in India's first hockey medal at the Olympics since 1980.
However, following the success of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the Indian team's performances declined. One bad result was followed by another and it wasn't clear what caused it. Perhaps the players lost their hunger, or maybe the other teams found a way to counter India, but the decline continued.
Things came to a head at the 2023 World Cup where India failed to reach even the quarterfinals. Things had turned gloomy for Indian hockey. A change was needed. So, out went Reid, and in came Fulton.
He had an impressive resume, having been the assistant coach to Belgium during their golden run of form.
Fulton completely changed India's playing style and brought in the zonal formation that is more familiar in European hockey. Now, the focus was on keeping the defensive structure intact and not committing too many players forward.
How Fulton's tactics overcame one-player deficit against Great Britain
In the Paris 2024 Olympics quarterfinal against Great Britain, Amit Rohidas got a justified red card in the 17th minute. Things looked gloomy for India with nearly three quarters of play remaining.
However, India managed to hold Team GB to a 1-1 scoreline in regulation time. This was because the Indian team reacted quickly to the situation and brought a tactical change to tighten their defense.
With a player down, the Harmanpreet Singh-led side knew that they would come out second best if they went for one-on-one battles. Also, since India had lost their full-back in Amit, they needed reinforcements for their defense.
The response was the entire team falling back in and around their own last 25. The forwards didn't stay up the pitch but came deep in their own half and only ventured to stop the opponents from easily passing the ball forward or into the pockets.
The defenders and midfielders crowded the circle and almost formed a defensive ring. Crucially, they blocked the potential channels for passes into the 'D'. Even when India pushed forward, they didn't commit too many players up the field. And as soon as a turnover was forced, the players quickly came towards their own circle.
The British team was never allowed to pass the ball easily into the circle as Indian players were screening their pass routes. Whenever players tried to force their way in, the Indians tackled and dispossessed them.
The fact that the defensive structure wasn't broken despite their leading full-back being out of the game, and the team being a player less, is incredible. This resilience of the Indian defense has been a hallmark of Fulton's tenure.
In India's win over Australia in their last Pool match also, it was this defensive grit that stopped Australia. This time, having a player less meant that India didn't have enough players up the field to pull off good counter-attacks and catch the opposition on a fast break. But it was a sacrifice worth making.
With a 'wall' called PR Sreejesh in the goalpost and the redoubtable skill of Indian attackers, a shootout was in India's favor. And the result is for all to see.
The Indian players could have lost their heads and structure in frustration over a decision they didn't like. But they didn't and executed their defensive strategy perfectly. Craig Fulton's tactics stand vindicated most satisfyingly.