Preview: India face stern Germany test in FIH Women's Pro League

There is a lot of anticipation for the upcoming two matches between both nations.

The Indian women’s hockey team will resume their FIH Women's Pro League 2021-22 campaign against Germany. The Women in Blue will play as hosts to two matches on 12th and 13th March, 2022. The venue will be the iconic Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. It recently saw the Indian men’s and women’s teams play two double-headers each against Spain in their respective leagues.

Janneke Schopman’s team will hope to get back to winning ways, but the Europeans will pose a strong challenge. It is imperative for the Indians to take advantage of home turf and secure the wins. As the preparations for the upcoming double-header pick up pace, here is a look at what’s in store:

Team India

As aforementioned, India will look to start winning again in the FIH Women's Pro League. Their last outing saw them concede a 3-4 defeat to Spain. Currently, the women’s team sit in third place on the points table, with three wins out of four. Two opening victories against China and a subsequent win against Spain gave the Tokyo Olympics fourth-place finishers good momentum. Having said that, the defeat to the Spaniards came as a reality check. Schopman will hope to get the girls refocused for the German challenge.

Team Germany

Germany’s start to the FIH Women's Pro League has not gone according to plan. The outfit have two defeats from as many matches, both against Belgium. However, this makes them a tricky opponent. This is because the Europeans will see the upcoming matches as opportunities to snap their losing streak. Furthermore, they will take lessons from Spain’s win over India and apply those pointers in their own strategies when the two teams meet on the turf.

Key Players

Gurjit Kaur (India)

India’s Gurjit Kaur is third in terms of top scorers in the tournament. She has three goals to her name. There will be a huge chunk of responsibility on her shoulders when the team takes the field against Germany. She is vital for India from penalty-corners, with her powerful drag flicks a major source for goals. Furthermore, she will be central to India’s defence. Her reading of the game is brilliant, but a lot needs to be done to avoid giving opponents easy chances. The Indian forwards must try to secure as many penalty-corners as they can, to give Kaur a chance to get on the scoresheet in the FIH Women's Pro League.

Anne Schroder (Germany)

Germany’s Anne Schroder is one of the most experienced players in the squad. She has played over 146 matches for the national team. She was part of the team that secured the bronze at the 2016 Olympics as well. The Indian defence will need to be conscious of the threat she brings to the table. Giving Schroder scoring opportunities could be troublesome for the hosts in the FIH Women's Pro League. 

Squad

India

Savita, Bichu Devi Kharibam, Deep Grace Ekka, Gurjit Kaur, Nikki Pradhan, Udita, Akshata Abaso Dhekale, Nisha, Salima Tete, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Jyoti, Monika, Neha, Navjot Kaur, Sonika, Rajwinder Kaur, Sharmila Devi, Navneet Kaur, Lalremsiami, Sangita Kumari, Mariana Kujur, Deepika Jr.,Rajani Etimarpu, Ishika Chaudhary, and Namita Toppo.

Germany

Noelle Rother, Nathalie Kubalski, Julia Sonntag, Nike Lorenz, Kira Horn, Amelie, Wortmann, Selin Oruz, Hannah Gablac, Anne Schroder, Elisa Grave, Lisa Nolte, Lena Micheel, Charlotte Stapenhorst, Charlotte Gerstenhofer, Teresa Martin-Pelegrina, Sonja Zimmermann, Pauline Heinz, Lilly Stoffelsma and Maike Schaunig.

Broadcast

The FIH Women's Pro League fixtures between India vs Germany will be broadcast live on the Disney+ Hotstar app.

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