SPORTS
High-flying Indian team’s problem of converting chances into field goals remains and could hurt them in big matches
India vs Belgium, December 2, first quarter: Birendra Lakra fires in a ball from the half line into the Belgian circle. Dilpreet Singh deflects it to Mandeep Singh who, despite being unmarked right in front of the goal, can't get it past goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch.
India vs Canada, December 8, third quarter: Mandeep Singh makes a fine run from the right flank and passes the ball on to a waiting Lalit Upadhyay, who fails to collect it metres outside the Canadian citadel.
Before the start of the 2018 Hockey Men's World Cup, India head coach Harendra Singh harped upon sticking to the theory of Cs in his quest to tackling India's finishing problems in front of the goal -- being "cool, calm, composed and confident".
A week-and-a-half and three matches into the tournament, it's evident that the coach is still trying to drill the same point into the minds of his wards.
The hosts have managed to tick a lot of boxes en route to ensuring a direct quarterfinal entry, yet one that remains to be inked in their colourful display so far is what the players do – or not do, rather -- with the ball in front of the opposition goal.
In a tournament where they've largely sailed, the trouble in applying finishing touches inside the circle could well be the iceberg that sinks Manpreet Singh & Co come the big matches, big teams and big players starting with their quarterfinals on Thursday.
It's an issue that has been the team's perennial problem for quite a while now – boys flaunting their natural skill to outfox the opponents and depositing the ball into the D, only to resemble a frozen bank account when the time comes to deliver that final touch for a goal.
Of the 12 times that India have managed to find the net in this World Cup so far, seven have been field goals.
Decent numbers, you'd think? Not if you dwell deeper.
The Indians made as many as 29 circle entries in their opener against South Africa, scoring a goal that wasn't via a penalty corner or stroke just thrice. Against Belgium, the circle entry:field goal ratio was 12:1, and versus the Canadians, it came spiraling down to a worrying 39:3.
And a common thread in India's loose ends is that their ineffectiveness in front of the goal is at its peak from the onset.
Only one of the seven field goals that India have managed has come in the first half. While the home team pumped in all the three field goals in the final 15 minutes against Canada, their lone field goal against Belgium too came in the final quarter.
It speaks as much about this young team's ability to turn on the heat in the second half as it does about semi-professional sides like South Africa and Canada being unable to sustain the physical strength and stamina throughout the course of the 60 minutes.
Come the quarterfinal stage, where the likely scenario throws up an India-Netherlands clash, the Indians will be matched toe to toe, leg to leg and pace to pace, no matter which opponent it turns out to be.
It's there that India's inability to convert fairly open chances might hurt them, leaving too much at the hands of the dragflickers or someone's individual brilliance.
Harendra is well aware of that, and has time and again spoken about the issue and its seemingly simple solution comprising the "Cs".
"We were lacking in the final execution (in front of the goal)," Harendra said after India's 5-1 victory over Canada in their final league game on Saturday.
"We are missing in the final pass. We have to wait for our moment, we can't rush towards the ball. We were too much in a hurry.
"I think we have to throw out the childish instinct," he added.
Indeed, because from hereon, the battle will be no child's play.
India have made a high number of circle entries into the opposition D in the 3 manages so far, but the returns in the form of goals have been fairly low
33 No. of circle entries India have managed to make in the first half of the 3 matches so far, managing to convert it into a goal only once
As Sky Force nears Rs 150 crore, Nimrat Kaur treats househelp, her kids with movie screening
IND vs ENG: Shreyas Iyer creates history, becomes first player to achieve THIS massive milestone
Meet man, India's richest banker, who has bought Rs 202 crore property, his net worth is Rs...
'Heard there was....': Former India head coach provides major update on Virat Kohli's injury
A New Geopolitical Era: India and Israel's Role in the Evolving Middle East
David Warner’s touching moment with fans after Dubai Capitals reaches final of DP World ILT20
India’s Largest Book Stall Network: PrashantAdvait Foundation’s Mission to Revive Reading Culture
Mawra Hocane stuns in pastel mint green lehenga at her wedding to Ameer Gilani
Deepinder Goyal's Zomato changes its name, CEO shares journey of company, it is now called...
Rose Day 2025: Know the date, history, significance of each rose colour ahead of Valentine's day
'BJP-led NDA works for Santushtikaran, not Tushtikaran': PM Modi in Rajya Sabha
Who is Belle Gibson? Australian wellness guru created fake cancer story and later...
DP World ILT20 2025: Dubai Capitals clinch last ball thriller against Desert Vipers to reach final
Jeet Adani-Diva Shah wedding: First pic from Gautam Adani's mansion OUT as wedding festivities begin
Sunita Williams’ Spacewalk: A Record-Breaking Mission and a Stunning Selfie from Space
IND vs ENG: Ravindra Jadeja creates history in Nagpur, surpasses James Anderson to become....
Can IAS officers change cadres after marriage? Here's what rules say
Pavan Kumar Joshi innovates unemployment benefits payment security
Anil Ambani's company's share price surges over 6 per cent after it earns profit of Rs...
Why Dale Bhagwagar is Bollywood's only PR guru
Meet Anjum Khan, wife of cricket star Shivam Dube, her net worth is Rs...
IAF Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft crashes in MP's Shivpuri during training sortie
Meet IAS Tina Dabi's mother, who cleared UPSC to become IES, later resigned due to...
Good news for Infosys employees! Company to roll out annual hike letters by end of...
BIG win for India's largest govt bank, earns Rs 16891 crore profit in just...
Ajith Kumar's fans celebrate, throng theatres after Vidaamuyarchi's worldwide release: Watch
Purnam’s Spring Edit: Where heritage meets handcrafted luxury
RTPS Bihar: Apply for income, caste, and domicile certificates
'Welfare of students very close to Government's heart': EAM Jaishankar in Rajya Sabha
IND vs ENG: Why is Virat Kohli not playing 1st ODI vs England in Nagpur?
Man's love for Indian wife knows no bounds, makes dosa batter from scratch, video goes viral
Meet woman, CRPF officer, who cracked UPSC exam in first attempt, became...
Trump administration plans to pressure the IOC to come up with a uniform transgender athlete ban
PM Modi's 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' to feature Deepika Padukone, Mary Kom, Sadhguru among others
Why speed matters: Ajay Chava on overhauling CI/CD pipelines for modern development
What does "i" stands for in iPhone, iPad, and other Apple products? Check here to know
Meet Pakistani actress whose leaked private video went viral, often shares bold photos, she is..
After Isha Ambani, Ananya Birla set to enter into new space, it is...
Shah Rukh Khan hugs Aamir Khan at Loveyapa screening, fans say '90s' kids can fly now': Watch
Meet Diva Shah, daughter of diamond tycoon, she is set to marry Gautam Adani’s son Jeet Adani on...
After US, Israel halts participation in UN Human Rights Council
Sanam Teri Kasam actress Mawra Hocane ties the knot with Pakistani star Ameer Gilani, see photos
Meet woman who left MNC job to pursue her uncle’s dream, later cracked UPSC to become IPS officer
Mukesh Ambani buys India’s first bulletproof Rolls-Royce Cullinan, Its price is Rs....
Anil Ambani meets Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis as his Rs 16015 crore company is looking for...
DNA TV Show: What is US President Donald Trump's Gaza plan?
Anil Ambani's company's BIG win, reports Rs 420000000 profit in 3 months, its business is...
US President Donald Trump invites PM Modi on working visit to White House next week
Watch: Malaika Arora's 'oops moment' in short dress caught on camera, video viral
Little girl's adorable dance to 'Maula Mere Maula' captivates netizens, WATCH viral video
India beats China to become world’s second-largest market for...