Hockey World Cup: India preparing for 17 vs 18 against Wales? | Hockey News – Times of India

BHUBANESWAR: It’s difficult to find a player who can be the team’s engine room as well as an attacker. Whose blazing runs past defenders remind people of a Dhanraj Pillay or a Shahbaz Ahmed. Hardik Singh‘s rise, and particularly his form in the ongoing Hockey World Cup, has set the bar high for the others. But the 24-year-old midfielder may have to wait for a bit before he can raise that bar higher in the ongoing tournament being held in Odisha.
Tuesday had an air or relief mixed with apprehension when India landed on the Kalinga Stadium training pitch. The relief was the presence of Hardik. Forty eight hours ago, he wasn’t able to stand on his own and was helped off the pitch in the match against England on Jan 15, after suffering what looked like a hamstring injury. On Tuesday, he was able to walk.

The injury has turned out to be a “mild strain” in Hardik’s own words. The results of the MRI scan, which have yet not been made public, have seemingly been negative for a hamstring issue.
“It’s a mild strain, nothing to do with the hamstring, so I am okay,” Hardik said on the sidelines of India’s training session.
At this stage the signs are that India are hopeful of Hardik’s return for the knockout rounds, which is possibly why the team management so far hasn’t put in a request with the FIH for Hardik’s replacement.

Hardik Singh (PTI Photo)
The two reserves training with India’s squad of 18 are midfielder Rajkumar Pal and defender Jugraj Singh.
It effectively means that it could be India’s 17 vs Wales’s 18 in the match on Thursday.
Against any of the top teams, India would have been pressed hard to not do that. But against the World Cup debutants, it’s a calculated gamble coach Graham Reid may want to take. Of course, the team’s think-tank must be sure that Hardik will become available for the knockouts and also be confident that they can manage the math required against Wales.

No serious injury, just a ‘mild strain’ to Hardik Singh

After two games each in Pool D, England are level on points with India (4 each), but ahead on goal difference. Spain too are in the race for the top spot with three points in the bag and will face England before India play Wales. So going into their match, captain Harmanpreet Singh and his boys would know what they need to do to finish number one in Pool and enter the quarterfinals directly.
If unfortunately Hardik’s World Cup ends prematurely, India will have a tough choice on their hands, whether to pick a midfielder for a midfielder (Rajkumar) or try to fix their penalty corner woes in the first two matches by bringing in Jugraj.
None of India’s attempts at drag-flicks on penalty corners have so far resulted in goals. Neither Harmanpreet’s flicks nor the slap-hits of Jarmanpreet Singh or the variations and dummies involving Amit Rohidas & Manpreet Singh have been able to fox the opponents.
That’s a lot of work ahead for India, who are also a man short.

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