Glasgow, July 22: They might have been hammered 0-8 by Australia in the final of 2010 Commonwealth Games, but Indian men’s hockey team captain Sardar Singh said he doesn’t fear facing the mighty ‘Kookaburras’ again in the summit clash of the upcoming edition of the quadrennial event in Glasgow.
Reacting to legendary Australian Jamie Dwyer’s recent statement that he would love to witness a India-Australia final in the Glasgow Games, Sardar said he and his colleagues are up for the challenge is it pans out that way.
“Like what Jamie said, we too would like to see Australia in the final with us. While we had lost the match against Australia in the World Cup (0-4), the second half of the game cannot be overlooked as our defence made a significant comeback in restricting Australia’s goal scoring spree. Our defence line-up is in perfect shape and now it is time for the forwards to deliver their best,” said the star midfielder.
The skipper said the morale of the team is on a high, especially after the 3-2 win over England in a practice match ahead of the Games to be held from July 23 to August 3.
“The team is showing major signs of improvement and the morale of the players is on a high after we beat England 3-2 in the practice game,” Sardar said.
“We played fast hockey. Our passing played a key role in beating England.
“The training sessions have grown intense and faster as time approaches. We have worked on pace.” (PTI)
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