Our backs are against the wall, says Hardik Singh

KOLKATA: Even as the India men’s hockey team put up a terrible performance in the just-concluded Pro League leg in Rourkela, one player who impressed one and all was senior midfielder Hardik Singh.He has now been chosen to lead the side during the Hobart leg where the Indian team will play four matches — two each against Australia and Spain — after Harmanpreet Singh was not included in the squad owing to personal reasons. According to sources, Harmanpreet will be missing the games to welcome his second child with wife Amandeep Kaur.For Hardik though, this will be a fresh challenge as the team hopes to turn things around especially after the 0-8 hammering against Argentina.“It’s better that this is happening now, before the World Cup, because we’ll understand how to deal with it,” he said. “Our backs are against the wall, and honestly, we couldn’t have played a worse match than that. But we are committed to working on every area that needs improvement.”And he wants to make it happen step by step.“When you go on a trek, you don’t look at the summit, you focus only on the next step. If we face Argentina again and lose, it won’t be 8-0. It’ll be 2-1, 3-1, or maybe 2-0. That game just spiralled out of control,” added Hardik.While acknowledging these are tough times, Hardik is confident that the team will bounce back from the setback.He emphasised that beyond improving structure and tightening the defence, communication remains one of the most crucial areas the team must address.“There is a lot of diversity in the team, full of different personalities. Some are shy, some are introverts and some are extroverts. So how you play keeping all these in mind makes a huge difference,” said Hardik before adding, “The good thing is everyone’s very comfortable with each other.”Keeping the performance aside, one area that he wants to improve for himself is his sleep cycle.“When you’re playing evening matches, it’s almost impossible to sleep before one or two in the morning because of the adrenaline,” said the two-time Olympic medallist. “And when you’re travelling, you need at least three to four days to adjust to the conditions and different time zones. That makes it even more challenging.”Another challenging aspect for him has been adapting to a different role over the past four years, especially after transitioning into one of the senior members of the squad.“Earlier, I could just focus on my game, but now I have to back the juniors. They listen to me because they know that I have been through all this. So, when tracking back, if the youngsters see that I am also going to defend with them, it gives them confidence,” he said.Defence remains at the core of India’s game. It is a foundation they intend to stick with heading into the World Cup and the Asian Games. The struggles in Rourkela exposed cracks in that system, and Hardik believes it has served as a timely wake-up call for the team.Squad for Hobart leg of Pro League: Goalkeepers: Suraj Karkera, Mohith HS; Defenders: Amit Rohidas, Jarmanpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh, Sanjay, Sumit, Amandeep Lakra, Yashdeep Siwach, Poovanna Chandura Boby; Midfielders: Rajinder Singh, Manmeet Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Hardik Singh, Moirangthem Rabichandra Singh, Vishnu Kant Singh, Raj Kumar Pal; Forwards: Abhishek, Shilanand Lakra, Mandeep Singh, Araijeet Singh Hundal, Aditya Arjun Lalage, Angad Bir Singh, Maninder Singh