After World Cup disappointment, Indian team will start afresh in Pro League

The Indian team will be eyeing a fresh start when they take on world champions Germany in an FIH Men’s Hockey Pro League encounter here on Friday. The Indian team, led by star drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh, was knocked out in the last 16 of the World Cup in January. The Indian captain, who is one of the three joint top scorers in the tournament with six goals, said, “Every match at this stage is challenging for us, especially when the opponents are Australia and Germany. ,

“However, it is good for us that we are getting so many challenging matches to play as our focus is on the Asian Games. So we will make sure that we improve as a team by playing such matches and give our best in future. In the World Cup, India made several inroads inside the circle but could not make use of them. “We talked about it and worked on it at the camp in Bengaluru. ,

This is India’s first match after the departure of Graham Reid from the team. Craig Fulton has been appointed as the coach of the team but the South African is likely to join the team after the matches. Interim coach David John and BJ Cariappa will take charge of the team for four matches. Following the World Cup disappointment, India dropped senior players Mandeep Singh, Akashdeep Singh and Amit Rohidas from the squad while goalkeeper Krishan Pathak will miss the matches due to his marriage.

Hardik Singh, who was made the vice-captain, said that India will make some changes in its strategy but the basic strategy will remain the same. India are currently fourth in the points table while Germany are fifth with eight points. Germany will be brimming with confidence after winning the World Cup and will look to continue their form under Mats Grambusch.