Goal machine Harmanpreet wary of 'silly mistakes' as 2023 still haunts him

The challenge is only going to get tougher from here on for India's men in the second round of the FIH World Cup hockey, while their inspirational captain Harmanpreet Singh knows that the margin for error will also become negligible. The ‘goal machine’ of India, who heads the scorers’ table with five goals from three matches so far, is therefore not satisfied despite a 5-3 win in a thriller against Pakistan on Wednesday.

The nightmare of the previous World Cup in Bhubaneswar in 2023, where a younger Harmanpreet was the butt of severe criticism after missing a crucial penalty against New Zealand in the final crossover game, still haunts him. A World Cup at home was deemed their best opportunity to finish on the podium again after 1975, but they finished a dismal ninth in the overall standings and the 'Sarpanch', as he is nicknamed, had even considered quitting the sport.

“Some of those things can really hurt you,” Harmanpreet said in an interview on the eve of the trip to the Netherlands and Belgium. “Those matches teach you a lot (about life). If you trace the team’s performances from there and the individual performances too, we have done quite well.”

An older and wiser Harmanpreet is back again on the biggest stage of the game as one of the modern greats — with two Olympic bronze medals and three FIH Player of the Year awards in tow — but the 30-year-old wants to win the World Cup as badly as ever.

‘Silly mistakes’ are what had been bothering him after the 4-2 loss to England and the Pakistan win, when he said on Wednesday: “If you are winning the ball in the 25-metre area, we must keep the possession. We are making some silly mistakes which can be avoided. In the two matches we have talked about avoiding the slow start in the third quarter but we did the same mistake today. It is a good learning for us for the next match,” said Harmanpreet, who led from the front, scoring two goals from penalty corners.

“Missing a few chances upfront is okay but we cannot afford any mistake at the back,” said Harmanpreet. The captain, however, felt there were plenty of positives in India’s overall performance — particularly in their attacking play and ball circulation. “If you look at our circle entries, ball possession, opportunities we have created and the passing, it was up to the mark. I am very happy with the performance,” he said.

Meanwhile, India’s ability to handle the pressure of a high-octane contest also pleased head coach Craig Fulton, who said his players remained committed to the game plan despite the occasion. “It was a big game on a big occasion and everyone is trying their best. I am glad that we stuck to our plan. I am happy with the way the team played,” the South African said.

Looking ahead, the talk is about whom India will play next, as the Netherlands — hosts and three-time champions — will certainly be one of their opponents. As per the new format of the World Cup, the eight teams that progress into the second stage will be split into two groups of four, with the top two from each group progressing to the semi-finals.

The top two teams of Pool D, India’s pool, will be grouped in Pool E with the top two teams from Pool A, which consists of the Netherlands, Argentina, New Zealand and Japan. With the Dutch having confirmed their berth in the second round, India is certain to meet the three-time champions.

It remains to be seen who among Argentina or New Zealand will complete Pool E, with both sides on three points and set to face each other on Thursday.