CHENNAI: After that utterly chaotic and ultimately fateful loss to New Zealand on penalties at the World Cup in India last year (3-3 after regulation time), something had to change.
Sure, under Graham Reid, the side had broken a four-decades long Olympic drought but playing an ultra-fast, attacking brand of hockey added an additional layer of jeopardy. While that sort of attacking DNA suited India, they needed more security at the back.
Hockey, unlike football, sees a lot of goals scored. However, like football, most of the champions share one common trait. The most successful nations are teams who concede the least number of goals. In recent times in men's hockey, the likes of Belgium and Germany have comfortably won global titles while keeping average goals conceded to below 2 (that theme is set to continue in Paris as well — Germany and Netherlands, this year's finalists, have conceded 19 goals between them in 14 matches).
In Craig Fulton's first press conference after he was appointed as coach of the men's team, he shocked the watching journalists when he described his coaching philosophy as 'defend to win'. "I would like to have our defensive structures in place because that's the first step of attacking."
His big two tests in 2023 were conquered without a lot of jeopardy. The Asian Champions Trophy and the Asian Games. With all due respect to the Asian game, India are the current top dogs and these titles were bare minimum (it's a bit like Rafa Nadal against players outside the Top-50 in the Parisian clay).
From the time the team won the Asian Games in Hangzhou till the time they landed in Paris a few weeks ago, this stylistic shift has been the biggest talking point in the men's game from an Indian point of view.
Over eight games — including a very tight and, in the end, a very rewarding 60 minutes against Spain in the bronze medal match — you kind of get Fulton's point.
If India were the risky Gen Z who repeatedly put all their savings in a high-risk, high-reward hedge fund, the South African, while retaining a part of that hedge fund, has put in place a sort of boring, very secure fixed deposit.
Or, in a sporting parlance, the team management replaced chaos for control. Here's a number to explain how it has helped the team immeasurably.
In the eight matches they played in Paris, they conceded 12 goals. Under Reid's gung-ho brand of hockey, they let in 23 on the way to their bronze. They did win bronze but that was ultimately an unsustainable way of playing the game, especially in high-stakes tournaments.
In 2016, they let in 12 but in two fewer games. At 2012, they conceded 18 in the group stages alone, In 2004, the corresponding number was 13... you get the drift, this team's and Fulton's short-term legacy is in making the team ultra secure at the back.
That has, inarguably contributed to consecutive bronze medals, a first for the side since 1972.
Conceding 12 goals over an entire tournament is just one part of the equation. Their defensive structures have been outstanding, there has been a sense of calm. Even when they been in arrears, their usually frenetic, almost schizophrenic brand of hockey has been a welcome absence.
In the games against New Zealand, Argentina, Belgium and even against Germany in the semifinals, they had patience and faith and rarely veered away from maintaining structure.
The other facet of their defensive play in Paris has been displayed in games like Australia and Great Britain. Against the latter, they rejigged personnel following the red card to Amit Rohidas. But even with 10 men, Great Britain didn't conjure enough clear-cut chances on target.
Then, perhaps, it's not at all ironic how the final quarter against Spain played itself out. After largely controlling the game, the Iberians threw everything in the last few minutes as they chased an equaliser. India ended up conceding a few penalty corners at the end but it never looked like they were in any real danger of losing that advantage.
Rewind back the mind to that bronze medal match against Germany in Tokyo. After Germany cranked up the pressure, PR Sreejesh saved a penalty corner with mere seconds remaining to rubber-stamp a 5-4 win.
Three years later, Sreejesh, in his final match for India, again had a big role. But that was the only similarity between 2021 and 2024, apart from the colour of the medal.
In that same press conference in 2023, Fulton added that he was a 'very forward, attacking coach' but 'I also like to do a very solid defensive play'.
It's what gave India it's 13th hockey medal.