Their marketing campaign has began positively, however India should guard against complacency once they face Spain of their second Pool C match of the FIH junior males’s hockey World Cup right here on Thursday.
Vice-captain Araijeet Singh Hundal got here out to be India’s saviour, scoring a hat-trick as India overcame some anxious moments to beat Korea 4-2 of their opener on Tuesday.
But India’s coach C.R. Kumar was not too happy with the efficiency and stated his aspect wants to be extra scientific and keep away from conceding pointless penalty corners.
India conceded six penalty corners, whereas earned simply two against Korea.
“We are very happy that we got the three points and that’s the positive side. But we have to more clinical in both circles. We conceded two goals in penalty corners which we need to pay attention to,” Kumar stated after the Korea match.
“We gave away too many penalty corners, six in the whole game where we had just two. We need to be more cautious.” India is striving to safe their fourth podium end within the occasion after having gained the event twice in 2001 (Hobart) and Lucknow (2016).
The nation had clinched a silver medal manner again in 1997 in Milton Keynes, England.
Skipper Uttam Singh and his deputy Hundal are the one two gamers who’ve expertise of the massive occasion, having featured within the final version of the event, the place India completed fourth in Bhubaneswar, dropping to France within the bronze medal play-off match.
The Spaniards, who’ve a bronze medal of their kitty on the 2005 version in Rotterdam, are India’s hardest opponent within the pool, comprising Canada as the opposite aspect.
But going by type, India will begin as favourites against Spain on Thursday.
India’s final pool match is against Canada on Saturday.
Pool A consists of defending champions Argentina, Australia, Chile, and Malaysia, whereas Pool B has Egypt, France, Germany and South Africa. Pool D is the hardest of the lot as Belgium, Netherlands, New Zealand and Pakistan might be vying for a quarterfinal berth.
The prime two groups from every pool will qualify for the quarterfinals.
The Indians performed an attacking recreation from the onset on Tuesday and would look to proceed in the identical vein however their defence may have to be cautious against counter-attacks which the Koreans used to nice impact to earn penalty corners.
Spain too can be trying to exploit that weak spot against the Indians.
