BENGALURU: Fergus Kavanagh was keeping a close eye on some Indian players who were making defensive tackles and interceptions during a training session at Sports Authority of India on Tuesday. The former Australia great, who will spend a week at the men’s national coaching camp — which started on Monday — and look at the defensive aspects of the Indian team, passed inputs to players.
He will work closely with head coach Graham Reid and analytical coach Chris Ciriello. “For me, there are three real target areas: tackling, marking, and an interception. Marking on the field, in deep defence, and opposition players... Knowing when to leave your player to make an interception, and deny the opposition chances in the circle,” the former Kookaburras defender told reporters.
Kavanagh might have put it in simple words, but with hockey styles having evolved over the past few years, players’ roles have also done the same. Midfielders and forwards also track back to help players out at the back; an aspect India needs to incorporate more in their game-plan.
“I’m trying to convey to the midfielders and strikers how important defence is,” said Kavanagh. “It’s about changing the mindset from thinking that defence is a negative thing to taking pride in doing it well.”
That the Men in Blue have been an attack-oriented unit is a well-known fact. But Kavanagh feels that an amalgam of that and good defence will make them more potent. More than that, their defending during key moments has contributed to many losses. Their 1-2 loss against Netherlands during the World Cup last year and their shootout heartbreak against Malaysia at the 2018 Asian Games are two cases in point.
“I think Indian hockey is known for being all about scoring goals and flair. I would also like it to be known for great defence. Good defence does not mean scoring fewer goals or taking something away from the attacking side. If you have a good defensive team, you will create more scoring opportunities. In major tournaments, if your defence plays well, you can compete for a medal.”