By Rajeev Kumar
Bhubaneswar, Dec 8: Having suffered two consecutive reverses, the possibility of India reaching the semifinals of the ongoing Champions Trophy here has become extremely bleak. While the Indian fans have been left disappointed, opinions are divided over the exact reasons of India’s listless performance.
Many believe that former coach Terry Walsh’s absence has seriously affected India’s preparations, which was clearly visible during their first two matches when they missed out on a number of sitters.
“Changing a coach is never good for any side,” pointed out England coach Bobby Crutchley here Monday. “It definitely affects the morale of the side.”
Pakistan coach Shahnaz Sheikh, however, stated that one of the main reasons for the poor performances of India and Pakistan is the slippery nature of the pitch here.
“The pitch is very slippery. It will be difficult for India and Pakistan players to adjust on this pitch. The Europeans, because they are stronger and well built will find it easy to adjust,” stated Shahnaz. “Players of India run fast and straight and as a result tend to slip more often than Europeans who adopt a diagonal direction while running,” he added.
PK Sarangi, who is the coach of the Orissa eves team has another reason to offer regarding India’s disastrous show. “The problem is that the Indian team has been plagued by matters not related to the field of play. This has led to India’s downfall. It is also a fact that the European teams are far more superior than India both in strength and the technicalities of the game,” stated Sarangi.”
“This team was prepared by Walsh. Had he been present here, India’s performance would have been different,” said a retired hockey player and a Hockey India (HI) insider who did not want to be identified. “India defenders have looked clueless in both the matches. Had Walsh been there, I am sure the show would have been better,” he added.