Barely a year after Paris Olympics high, India hockey team crumbles under pressure to concede late

Bengaluru : From a high of consecutive medals at the Olympics, to a bagel in the European leg of the FIH Pro League, the performance of India’s men’s hockey team has seen a dramatic fall.Scorelines of six consecutive losses suggest a tough fight by the Indians, but it also reflects a worrying trend — conceding last-minute goals, an offshoot of defensive lapses under pressure. Opponents scored goals, most of them winners, in the final 13 minutes of the match.Current head coach Craig Fulton and his predecessor Graham Reid may have addressed the issue of conceding late goals, but what’s worrying is that senior players have bungled in the Pro League against experimental teams like Australia.Among the fittest teams in the world, India have dropped intensity in the final quarter and their mistakes have been glaring, and elementary. After their latest 2-3 loss to Australia at the weekend, Fulton put up a brave front, saying, “We had some good moments, but didn’t really finish what we started. We are learning, but we are also changing a few things, trying different tactics. But that’s no excuse.”New tactics have included extended periods of man-to-man marking, which has allowed opponents to find gaps. The script has been similar in the twin losses to the Netherlands and Argentina. In defence, the experienced Amit Rohidas and midfielder Sumit have been soft-headed in their execution, leaving goalkeepers — Kishan Bahadur and Suraj Karkera — to fend for themselves, and gifted goals which have cost the team dearly.Last weekend, India came into the twin contests against Australia on the back of four close losses. On Saturday, with a 2-1 lead, India allowed Australia off the hook with two goals in the last five minutes. The winner from Tom Craig came 43 seconds before the final hooter.Less than 24 hours later, they were back on the field but looked jaded and conceded early goals before staging a comeback. They flattered to deceive, crashing to a 2-3 loss.With a week’s break, India will look to start fresh when they play their last set of matches on this European sojourn against Belgium.THE WORLD CUP BERTHConsidering it is an Olympic cycle with the World Cup next year, it is understandable that Fulton is still experimenting, but he needs his seasoned players, whom he has backed, to support his plans. The Pro League offered a World Cup berth, but India are currently eighth among nine teams, with only Ireland below them.