On Thursday evening (Indian time), England will play neighbours Wales at 6.30 pm while Ukraine will take on Northern Ireland at 9.30 pm in the Euro 2016. Both are keenly anticipated matches.
But if you’re an Indian sports fan, you might be better served to change your loyalties for just one evening and switch to the hockey Champions Trophy, where India are on the verge of something historic.
The Indian men’s hockey team takes on Australia at 8.30 pm in their final group stage game. They are currently second among the six nations participating in the Champions Trophy with their opponents Australia on top.
What’s so special about the match? For starters, India has more than a fighting chance of finishing in the top two. If they manage to pull off a win against world champions Australia, they will set up a final clash against the same opponents.
A draw would also do: India would then go up to eight points and hope that Great Britain (currently on five points) are held to a draw or defeated by Belgium (currently on four points). And even if India are defeated, a draw between Belgium and Great Britain would take them through.
A Champions Trophy medal
If the team does manage to qualify the final, it would be an historic achievement because India would guarantee themselves a gold or a silver medal. For a country which was once the undisputed champions of hockey, India’s record in the Champions Trophy is noticeably poor: their best finish came 34 years ago in the 1982 tournament in the Netherlands, when they won bronze. Since then, India has finished fourth on seven separate occasions, including in the most recent edition in 2014.
For India to top that and finish with silver or maybe even gold, that too with a team which is missing two star players, would be an incredible achievement and be an excellent dress rehearsal for the upcoming Olympic Games.
But how much of a chance does India actually have against Australia? It’s difficult to say, because this has been an unpredictable tournament, where no team has played according to expectations.
Part of this is because all the top teams are trying out different combinations and personnel ahead of the Olympics. But it has still made for great viewing. India were the second-last team among the six by ranking, but they almost defeated defending champions and second-ranked Germany (they were leading 3-2 but let in a late goal), won 1-0 against Great Britain and also 2-1 against South Korea, the lowest ranked team in the competition.
The only game they lost was against Belgium, who, to illustrate the tournament’s unpredictability, lost against South Korea the day before.
Gutsy India
India have reached this position through a mix of heroic defending and swift counter-attacks. They have defended stoutly, helped by some fantastic saves from their stand-in captain PR Sreejesh throughout the tournament. Sreejesh has been a rock for his team in the tournament, except in the game against Belgium where he let in two goals through his pads.
But when given a chance to counter, India have been swift to get to the other end and capitalise. The pacy SV Sunil has been a constant threat, ably backed by Harmanpreet Singh and Mandeep Singh, both of whom have been among the goals.
But this team has also shown tremendous spine, a welcome departure from previous squads. They held on against wave after wave of attacks by Great Britain in the last few minutes of that game. Then, after conceding a late goal against Korea, they bounced back immediately to get the lead again.
Australia will prove a sterner test. But the prospect of a guaranteed medal in the Champions Trophy should serve as big motivation for this resurgent Indian team. Whatever you do on Thursday evening, keep an eye on them. The team might make it worth your while.
