Boys are determined to win against England: Sardar Singh

The Hague, Netherlands: After an exciting battle against 5th ranked Belgium, it is time for Team India to clutch harder on their positive approach, as they ready themselves to fight against 4th ranked England on Monday 2nd June 2014.


Speaking on the match ahead Chief Coach Terry Walsh said “England is a formidable opponent and we will be strongly challenged in our match against them. We will have to move the ball effectively and this we will attain by utilising appropriate dodging techniques which will help to create opportunities if we are able to execute in a timely fashion. Understanding the deficiencies in our last contest and applying suitable adjustments will be a big test. Within the tournament this game has significant importance and our mental preparations and resilience will be tested”.

Speaking ahead of the forthcoming challenge Captain Sardar Singh said “disappointed that we lost the match in the last few minutes yesterday but we will take the positives from the match and apply it during our clash with England tomorrow. We realise that they are ranked 4th in the FIH ranking but that will not deter us to go for the win as the boys are high on confidence post yesterdays show of performance and I see them as more determined in their quest for success. We will be keeping a close tab on England's drag flicker Ashley Jackson, as he is a big threat keeping in mind that he is one of the finest drag flickers today”.


Speaking on facing England tomorrow, Dragflicker VR Raghunath said “tomorrow is a fresh match and a fresh start for us. We will take the good things from yesterdays match and will continue in the same determined fashion in tomorrow’s outing against England. It’s a long way to go in the tournament and we are hopeful and sure to put up a great show. The entire team is excited and looking forward to the match tomorrow”.


Going by the past records India and England have clashed twice in 2012, once fought in the Champions Trophy (Melbourne) where India registered a 3-1 victory over England and second time both these teams met during the International Super Series (Perth), which saw a close fight between the two as India lost to England 2-1. It was only in 2014 since then, that the two teams faced each other in the Hero Hockey World League Finals where India lost to England by 2-0.

Considering FIH rankings, England currently holds the 4th position, whereas India is sitting at the eighth rank. Here, the positive for India is yesterday’s performance against Belgium who in a way left Belgium stunned when India edged past the opponents in the 50th minute and taking the score to 2-1. India will look at repeating a similar show against England and this time strive to win the match tomorrow.

India will clash against England in their second game of Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014 which will be telecasted live on Ten Sports on 2nd June 2014 at 19:30 hrs (IST).