Asian Champions Trophy 2023 Review: India show adaptability, cohesiveness on familiar turf

The Men in Blue did not panic despite being two goals behind in the final.

India clinched the seventh edition of Asian Champions Trophy by defeating Malaysia (4-3) in a closely contested final. The Indian men’s hockey team came back from a two-goal deficit to emerge champions and have become the most successful nation in the tournament history, with four titles to their name — one ahead of arch-rivals Pakistan. Overall, the hosts played seven matches and won all but one to win the Championship.

Let’s look at a detailed review of India’s performance in the Asian Champions Trophy 2023

India’s performance in the tournament

The hosts started the tournament on a bright note by winning the opening encounter against China (7-2) but were held to a 1-1 draw by reigning Asian Games champion Japan in the following match. India secured 14 penalty corner opportunities in that drawn game, but successfully converted only one. However, after a day’s break, the blue colts fought back strongly to thrash Malaysia (5-0) and defeat South Korea (3-2) in a close finish.

In these four matches, Varun Kumar and Jugraj Singh scored penalty corner goals apart from captain Harmanpreet Singh. The final group game wasn’t much difficult either with the hosts thrashing neighbours Pakistan (4-0) to finish the group stages on top with 13 points.

In the semi-finals, Japan gave a tough fight in the opening quarter but fell to hold on for a longer period helping India bounce back and score five goals out of which four were field goals. Malaysia were always going to be a tough opponent in the final and the East Asian side proved their dominance in the first half by scoring three goals.

India turned to plan B after failing to hold Malaysia with their initial plan and that ultimately worked in their favour. The switch from defence to forward press helped India dominate the second half and score three successive goals.

Positives

Several penalty corner takers

India were heavily reliant on Harmanpreet Singh for taking penalty corners for the past year but with the emergence of Jugraj Singh and Varun Kumar to an extent, the penalty corner duties can now be shared. Jugraj scored the opening goal against Malaysia in the final through a PC which was a surprise as it is always Harmanpreet who is given the role in crucial moments.

The coach’s trust on Jugraj paid off and going forward Jugraj will turn out to be an added advantage in both defence and penalty corners.

Manpreet Singh’s switch from defence to midfield

Manpreet Singh displayed good skills in the midfield role and stood firm as a linkage between the attack and the defence. He also switched to either side of the pitch rushing in to assists both the left and right flank. Having started his career as a defender, Manpreet Singh has changed several positions but with experience has been able to adapt to team’s composition which is always an added bonus.

Forwards helping the defence in counter attacks

Mandeep Singh and Karthi Selvam apart from scoring goals have adapted to Craig Fulton’s tactics. With the team playing in a defensive setup, the forwards need to create chances on their own rather than just relying on the midfield and defence. Both the forwards rushed back whenever required and helped the defence to the maximum.

Best Performers

Harmanpreet Singh

Captain Harmanpreet Singh once again top scored for the Indian team and finished the tournament as the top goalscorer with 9 goals from seven matches. Apart from scoring goals through penalty corners, the drag flicker played a crucial role in defence and at times opened up play providing aerial balls to the baseline from midfield.

Manpreet Singh

The midfielder after initially playing in the defense got shifted to attacking midfielder’s role and he adapted to it perfectly. His assist to Sumit in the semi-finals against Japan was easily one of the best plays of the tournament.

The former Indian captain did not score a single goal in the semi-final win against Japan (5-0) but was awarded the man of the match for his playmaking skills and the passes he provided to the forwards by dissecting the defence.

Indian Sports Live Coverage on Khel Now

• India vs USA Live Updates: Women’s FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers 2024
• Malaysia Open 2024: Satwik-Chirag creates history, becomes first Indian to reach final
• Rohan Bopanna kickstarts the 2024 season with runner-up finish at Adelaide International
• Asian Olympics Qualifiers 2024: Vijayveer Sidhu secures India’s 17th shooting quota
• Australian Open 2024: Sumit Nagal becomes first Indian to enter singles main draw of a Grand Slam since 2021
• Aman Sehrawat clinches gold in 57kg freestyle at Zagreb Open Ranking Series 2024
• List of Indian athletes to have secured qualification for Paris Olympics 2024

Mandeep Singh

Experienced centre forward Mandeep Singh was awarded the man of the tournament for his heroics in the field throughout the tournament. In the seven matches, Mandeep scored three goals but played a massive role in the final third providing quality passes to Gurjant, Sukhjeet, and Karthi Selvam.

Craig Fulton, after the Japan’s win, heaped praises on Mandeep on his work ethics helping the defence and then the counter attacks.

Coach’s tactics

Craig Fulton, from his initial few matches, is known to be a defensive coach relying more on counter attacks. The forwards, apart from just attacking, have made huge shits in defending as well adapting to Fulton’s tactics. The team also transitioned well in the final against Malaysia switching to the attacking mode which is what it is known for.

After a 1-3 scoreline at the half-time in the final, India brought out their plan ‘B’ and attacked firmly that helped them score three goals and subsequently lift the title.

Road ahead

Head coach Craig Fulton, in the press conference, after the semi-final win assessed the Indian players’ performance right from the FIH Pro League matches to the Spain tour and then the Asian Champions Trophy. The next big target is to secure a direct quota for Paris Olympic Games by winning the Hangzhou Asian Games.

An 18-member squad will be selected for the Continental Games and players who have proved their mettle since Craig’s arrival shall make the cut. India is placed in Group A alongside Pakistan and Japan while Malaysia have been placed in Group B at the Asian Games.