The round-robin league stage of the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy will conclude with what is expected to be a high-voltage clash between India and Pakistan in Chennai on Wednesday night. India have been unbeaten so far in the continental tourney having won three and drawn one of their four matches while Pakistan have won one, drawn two and lost one so far.
Having recorded their first win of the campaign on Monday as they beat China 2-1, Pakistan are seemingly confident with their coach keeping a close watch on rivals India, claiming he’s aware of their weak spot.
“Harmanpreet Singh and other centre forwards are some of the best players in the world. We are aware of their weakness as well, but we have to be smart against them,” Pakistan coach Muhammad Saqlain told news agency PTI on Monday.
With their narrow win over China, Pakistan managed to stau in contention for a semifinal berth.
Saqlain said he’s confident of his side making it to the final four.
“Finally, we have got the three crucial points. We created quite some chances, especially towards the initial stages of the meeting. If we keep going like this, we can surely make it to the semifinals with this young team,” he said of the win against China.
Asked about handling pressure against their arch-rivals, especially with the match being held in India, Saqlain said his players will be taught on how to get things done.
“We have a day off, so we can focus three hours before the match. The way they played their last game (vs Malaysia) is a warning sign for everyone. Although we have a young side, they are capable of handling the pressure.
“We will need to teach our young lads (about handling the crowd pressure) who are playing here for the first time. If you can close your ears and focus on the game, we surely can play good hockey. Also, if both the teams play good hockey, it would be a great achievement for Asian hockey,” he said.
Captain Umar Bhutta was not entirely impressed with his side’s finishing abilities against China. He said finishing would be the most important aspect of the game if Pakistan are to come out on top against the hosts.
“Finishing is still an area where we can improve. But, it was a consecutive game for us as well as China, so it was hard for both of us. However, our boys appeared to be slightly better than them. Overall, we played better hockey and earned the crucial three points,” he said.
“The challenge would be to get a good finish (vs India). It’s just another contest in this tournament. What all the boys need to do is to execute our plans perfectly, while the coaches are already working on it.”
Adding to Saqlain’s comments on handling the pressure, Bhutta said that instead of considering the Indian crowd as a pressure, enjoying the atmosphere would help his side more.
“I don’t consider having Indian crowd as a pressure. It’s more about enjoying it. When the crowd roars during a contest, even if it is for the opponent, it’s a different feeling altogether. Also, the pyrotechnics after a goal makes things even cooler. So, we will be enjoying it,” he signed off.
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