FIH Pro League | Indian men, women hope to extend winning momentum

While the women face the dominant Dutch, the men have a tricky opponent in England

A crucial win and three points against Germany in its previous game would hopefully provide the necessary momentum and burst of confidence when the Indian women’s hockey team takes on the all-winning, dominant Netherlands in its final set of FIH Pro League games at home on Monday and Tuesday.

It definitely won’t be easy though. The Dutch women have been on a roll for the past few years, sweeping everyone away in what is undoubtedly among the most dominant winning streaks in any team sport anywhere ever.

They have lost just 20 matches out of over 300 since the Athens Olympics in 2004! With 11 of the 16 who won its fifth Olympic gold at Paris travelling, the Indians will have to play out of their skin to cause an upset.

They made their intentions clear with massive wins against England in the two games so far here but the positive, for India, has been its impressive teenagers despite the losses. The close 1-0 win against Germany after a 4-0 loss a day before should help the girls find belief that they can match the best.

For the men, the two upcoming matches against England will be important to not only maintain the winning momentum but also collect points that will help Craig Fulton’s boys go into the next leg in Europe in a comfortable position.

The Indian men have lost two games so far and won four but have managed to keep a clean sheet in three of those wins, highlighting the defensive abilities and, more importantly, those of the two goalkeepers Krishan Pathak and Suraj Karkera. It was one of the areas the team was concerned about after Paris Olympics and the retirement of P.R. Sreejesh but both Pathak and Karkera have been effective so far.

With an eye on the next three years, Fulton has rotated his players constantly with 27 already stepping on the field in the six games so far, many of them youngsters.

The likes of Rajinder Singh, Araijeet Singh Hundal, Angad Bir Singh and Yashdeep Siwach have been impressive as well. India will have to be guard, however, against England, a team with just one loss and two shootout wins.

It is also a team with a fair amount of experience, none more than the likes of Sam Ward and Zack Wallace creating problems for the opposition and James Mazarelo and Oliver Payne stopping anything thrown at them and India will have to navigate the tricky patches in the middle carefully.

The Irish men, meanwhile, will be hoping to finish the India leg on a high against a German side that is rebuilding and has not had a great time so far.

Monday’s matches: Men: Germany vs. Ireland (3 p.m.), India vs. England (7.30 p.m.); Women: India vs. Netherlands (5.15 pm).

Published - February 23, 2025 04:57 pm IST