By Sakyasen Mittra
Bhubaneswar, Dec 12: This is what the 17-year-old Sambhavana Mohanty or the 68-year-old Damodar Rout had been hoping and praying for, an India-Pakistan match in the Champions Trophy hockey tournament currently on here. Their and many others’ hopes have been fulfilled as the two arch rivals of Asian hockey will gun it out in the semifinals of the event in a high tension game here Saturday at the Kalinga Stadium.
An India-Pakistan game is all about controlling the emotions which tend to be at fever-pitch whenever the two sides meet. The two sides have so far met 160 times on the hockey pitch with Pakistan winning 78, India 54 while the remaining 28 games have been drawn. Pakistan have scored 370 goals against India while the latter has hit the target 307 times.
But then history always takes a backseat when these two sides clash. More than anything else what matters is the grit and determination of the players on the particular day of the game. And Saturday both sides will have an equal footing.
Pakistan coach Shahnaz Sheikh surprised everyone Friday by stating that he will adopt the ‘9/11 route’. The date is usually associated with the attack on the Twin Towers in New York in 2001. But Sheikh was quick to point out that when his side will attack, they will have nine men upfront and while defending all the 11 will be down to prevent the opposition (read India) from scoring.
On paper, India start favourites. They have in the recent past played good hockey and save for the two losses in the beginning of the event, have improved with every game. PR Sreejesh has been outstanding under the bar, the defence has looked compact and upfront Danish Mujtaba, Akashdeep Singh, SV Sunil and Dharamvir Singh have troubled all and sundry. Skipper Sardar Singh has been very good in the middle of the pitch whether building attacks or defending.
But then the hosts will have to remember one important issue. In spite of Pakistan not playing international tournaments for approximately 18 months they defeated India in a Pool match of the Incheon Asiad. India exacted revenge in the final, but to do that they had to depend on the penalty shootout. Sardar and his men can’t leave it that late.
Pakistan has depended heavily on Muhammad Irfan who has been their leading goalscorer. Mohammed Rizwan (jr) and Muhammad Imran have both played over 200 matches and will bring in a lot of experience to calm jittery nerves. Their victory against higher-ranked the Netherlands have no doubt, rocketed their confidence sky high.
Who will win? Only time has the answer. But it promises to be a cracker of a contest. Brace yourself Bhubaneswar. Here they come.