From the publishers of THE HINDU Vol. 24 :: No. 40 :: Oct. 06 - 12, 2001	Home Contents
	HOCKEY India clinches the series A. JOSEPH ANTONY INDIAN juniors clinched the Videocon Cup by virtue of a superior goal average over Malaysia in the four Test match hockey series at the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) Astro Turf Stadium, Hyderabad recently. K. RAMESH BABU The triumphant India team. Two Tests were drawn, while the rival teams claimed one each. The host's start was most impressive, a 3-1 verdict against the visitors. The piece de resistance of that contest was the breathtakingly beautiful goal by Indian centre-half Deepak Thakur. A diagonal pass from Jagbir Singh posted in mid-field, saw Thakur, back to the Malaysian goal, turn his stick around. The pass had come shooting in and the reverse hit Thakur unleashed almost on reflex, left rival custodian Shaiful Azhar without a chance. On that opening day, Thakur was the architect of the Indian attack, setting up opportunities aplenty, if not scoring himself. Malaysian coach Yahya Atan had predicted on the eve of the contest that his boys found the turf a little bumpy, which needed a little getting used to. After that first game, he had another forecast. His squad would settle down on the second day. The Olympian was not off the mark. In the second Test, Malaysia held India to a 2-2 draw, matching move for move and goal for goal. Four field goals were struck in a keenly fought encounter, but without a verdict. After a day's rest, it was a resurgent Malaysia that took the field. The lone goal for India and even that scored from the spot by Arjun Hallappa, was the saving grace for the home side as the tourists called the shots for most of the match. Malaysia's reprisal and the equaliser came within seconds of India opening its account. Some tight man-to-man marking saw a stranglehold on the Indian forward line. To make things worse for the home side, the absence of skipper Bipin Fernandez, sidelined with a shoulder muscle catch, took its toll as it tottered to a 1-2 defeat. The mid-field he marshalled so effectively in the earlier matches wore an open look and proved fertile ground from where the foreigners forged foray after foray. Nor was there the steady stream of passes to the host's frontline. Coach Atan pin-pointed ball possession as what separated winner from vanquished. Video replays of the first two games not only helped them iron out their own flaws, but opened their eyes to the failings of the Indians. His counterpart Charles Cornelius found his wards did not once use the flat stick to trap the ball in times of danger. In the deciding match and the last in the series, Malaysia's resolve was visible in its players diving with sticks outstretched to gain possession of the ball. Not only did they regroup swiftly in defence but fanned out equally fast in counter-attack. The 'final' fizzled out to a 1-1 draw but there were anxious moments for the players and enough excitement for a goodly crowd. Coach Cornelius, while deploring the lack of depth in his boys' basics, reiterated his faith in their promise. "This is the best lot in the country. If it's not them that bring home the World Cup (scheduled later this year in Hobart, Australia) then it will not be in another 10 years," he said. Contents • Daily Sports • The Hindu • Business Line • Frontline • Home Copyrights © 2001 The Sportstar Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Sportstar.