NEW DELHI (PTI): Australians are looking forward to India figuring the semi-finals of the next hockey World Cup at Sydney in November, said an Indian official here recently.

 The Australian coach and association Officials were really impressed with the performance of the young Indian team,” said Jai Narayan Tyagi, who was the manager of Indian hockey team that toured Australia recently.

The Australian coach told reporters he was expecting to play India in the semifinals though the countries were grouped in different pools, Tyagi said.

He said quoting the Australians that the score-line in the five tests did not reflects the real fight the heroes had to encounter from a young team.

India lost the five TST series 4(and drew level only in one test. Tyagi said the only difference ‘between Indian and Australian teams was in finishing.

“While they (Australians) made use of mast of the chances we fumbled on all occasions.”

“Can you believe World Class forwards like Mukesh Kumar and Dharanj Pillai failed to score thrice in a match even after beating the goal-keeper?” he asked.

Tyagi said: “If you leave aside the scoring part, Indian forwards played very well.”

According to a computer analysis by the Australians, the Indians had 131 effective moves towards the goal against 121 by the Australians, said Tyagi, who has a 40 year association with the game.

India got as many as 27 penalty comers out of which only two could be converted. Australia had 21 and scored four times.

To the dismay of the team management, India wasted all the three penalty strokes while the hosts utilized both the strokes they earned, Tyagi said.

“We desperately need crack scorers. We have a very good, talented forward line,” He said, adding two more tours against Holland, Germany or Pakistan are necessary to sharpen the team for the Hiroshima Asian games later this year.

The manager said four good substitutes are also necessary.” The substitutes should be as good as the regulars. We had no substitutes for Mukesh Kumar or Dhanraj Pillai.”

“Sabu Varkey, Mukesh Kumar, Dhanraj Pillai and Baljit Singh are World Class forwards, But we should have more such players at least three each.”

Article extracted from this publication >> June 10, 1994