Anatomy of a heartbreak

PC woes

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There is no denying that star drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh’s dip in form played a big part in India’s early exit. He could convert only one penalty corner in India’s first four games. The captain regained his confidence after scoring three in the classification matches. The bigger issue, though, is the lack of options for India, highlighted by the other specialists’ failure to find the target as well.

No defence for missed chances

India finished the tournament with a goal difference of 15, scoring 22 and conceding seven in six matches. Other than a few lapses in the crossover game against New Zealand, which ended 3-3 in regulation time, India’s defence was pretty resolute. What hurt them more were the missed chances in the crucial games – 13 of their goals came in the classification stage.

It has been a recurring problem for India, and again proved costly on the big stage.

Pressure points

India’s failure at a major tournament has again led to discussions about their inability to handle pressure. Captain Harmanpreet Singh said that overall, India did well. He is somewhat right – India did not lose a game in regulation time. He blamed their ninth-place finish on a bad second-half performance in the crossover game against New Zealand. The captain doesn’t realise that when it mattered, his players buckled under pressure. It forced coach Graham Reid, who resigned today, to seriously consider hiring a mental coach.

Hamstrung India

Hardik Singh’s withdrawal due to a hamstring injury made a bigger dent in India’s chances than the outgoing coach Reid would like to admit. Hardik was by far India’s best player in the first two matches. He was crucial in the linkup between defence and attack. Sitting just behind the forwardline, he also made crucial interceptions and steals in the midfield that led to countless counterattacks. His replacement, Raj Kumar Pal, was not as effective in the game against New Zealand. To his credit, though, he was the only Indian to convert both his attempts in the shootout.

Akash the limit

The discovery, or rather the rediscovery, of the tournament for India was Akashdeep Singh. Left out of the bronze-winning Tokyo Olympics squad, the forward worked harder on his game and fought his way back into the World Cup team. He was arguably India’s best player in the tournament, popping up everywhere on the field. He scored three goals, showed his experience as a playmaker in the midfield and also had to defend deep in his own half.