Harmanpreet Singh.
Credit: PTI Photo
Rajgir: On home turf with the best of their players fit and ready to deliver. A big crowd on their side. Confidence from being the reigning Olympic bronze medallists.
The entire set-up of the Asia Cup, which will get underway here on Friday, is in favour of the Indian men's team. Winning the event isn't merely a pre-tournament prediction but a statement of certainty.
But to lift the trophy, captain Harmanpreet understands that success, in spite of all these the favourable factors, is earned and not awarded.
“You can call it ranking pressure or something on those lines,” the skipper said during the press interaction on Thursday when asked about the pressures of being the top-ranked team.
“But we're approaching this tournament with the same mindset that we do during the Olympics or any other major event. All the teams are good and we are not taking anyone lightly.”
Paddy Upton, the mental conditioning expert, travelling with Harmanpreet and his team has perhaps given them an extra boost to navigate through a different sort of expectation.
“It’s good that Paddy is with us (for this event). So the sessions have been about handling tough situations during a game. We have also focussed on staying alert 2-3 minutes after scoring a goal or the start of the third and fourth quarters. Because that’s a crucial time (in a game) when goals get concealed or we rush to make more goals (leading to mistakes).”
Terming it a flagship event of the year for the team, head coach Craig Fulton pointed out that the emphasis during the training camps have been on tactics.
“The emphasis has been about how to put more ball into the 25 (yard line), more into the deep and increase scoring chances to be more effective on the scoreboard,” offered the south African.
On Pak’s absence
Replying to a question on Pakistan’s absence changing the equation of the tournament, Harmanpreet quipped: “We might miss the excitement,” before adding: “We always have tough matches. We players enjoy playing against Pakistan and the entire country enjoys watching our matches but unfortunately they aren’t here. But the rest of them are here.”