BHUBANESWAR: “Good morning, Mr Grambusch,” a voice echoed inside the head of the German team’s stand-in captain. “Your mission should you choose to accept it, involves playing a hockey match against India with just 11 players. The Indian team, who will play in front a vociferous, unforgiving crowd, will have use of all 18 players and can make unlimited subs.
The score will start at 0-0 and you will have 60 minutes to try and lead Germany to a bronze medal in the World League Final. This message will self-destruct after the end of this meeting.” And, thus, the Germans were set a challenge. A Mission Impossible of their own.
There was an actual team meeting on Sunday morning to decide whether they wanted to go ahead with the match. They had lost two more players — both to illness (they still do not know what caused it) — overnight and with just 11 fit players, they had to see whether it’d be worth it. Coach Stefan Kermas left it to them and at the end of the meeting, they came to a unanimous decision. “We wanted to leave the tournament in the right way,” goalkeeper Mark Appel said.
They failed. The final scoreline said IND 2-1 GER, but on nights like these, the scoreboard has more lies in it than a political party’s election manifesto.
India made over 50 substitutions, Germany none. India’s reserve goalkeeper, Akash Chikte, was cheerleading from the bench. His Germany counterpart, Appel, started as the centre-forward. Heck, he even scored to bring the visitors level.
Most of Germany’s players, having performed a thankless 60-minute shift on Saturday, did another. India, who last played on Friday, were fresh as daisies.
Had it been a boxing contest, the referee would have advised the Olympic bronze-medallists to throw in the towel before the start.
Here’s a short flashback. Germany had lost a player to injury (Timur Oruz) early in the competition. But between Friday night and Saturday, five of their remaining 17 developed a fever. Hence, four did not play in the semifinal against Australia. Two more complained of the same symptoms before developing high temperatures between Saturday night and Sunday morning.
The match was surreal. Germany played like a team possessed while the hosts looked like they were caught between trying to be indifferent and sympathetic.
The Germans attacked at every available opportunity. On Twitter, Moritz Fuerste, one of the kings of modern hockey, said: “What Germany is showing with 11 players and a goalie as central striker is out of this world.”
Spirit and power were Germany’s allies as they repeatedly tested the Indian defence, but they couldn’t take advantage of some lackadaisical work at the back.
While still trying to work out a strategy, the Men In Blue conceded six penalty corners in the first half. The World No 5 couldn’t convert any of those. With regular drag-flicker and captain Martin Haner out of action, a variety of German sticks tried their luck, but to no avail.
To give credit to the bronze medallists, they didn’t do an awful lot wrong. But in these circumstances, it’s tough to attune to one’s mental self. While India had more circle entries, their attacks lacked conviction. They fired only three shots in the first 30 minutes. Luckily, SV Sunil found the net with one.
Appel equalised six minutes into the second half. India, under pressure to win given the extraordinary circumstances, found some joy as the Germans tired. They lost their discipline for a touch and gifted a penalty corner. That was thwarted but only at the expense of another which Harmanpreet Singh accepted gleefully. Grambusch’s men did not give up. With less than five minutes to go, they had another short corner but couldn’t convert.
The shooter brought with it not celebrations, but commiserations. Rupinderpal hugged a few German players.
Their coach clapped his warriors.
At the post-match press conference, one of the first questions India coach Sjoerd Marijne had to answer was about the German team. “They were great.”
swaroop@newindianexpress.com