Realistically, what were the expectations from the Indian women’s hockey team before the World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands? An optimist might have thought of India beating South Africa and eking out a draw against England. As it turned out, India exceeded those expectations by a fair distance. In the Group Phase, they didn’t just convincingly beat South Africa and draw with England, but also led China at one point before settling for a 2-2 draw.
Even the finest side in women’s hockey, the Netherlands, had to bring their ‘A game’ in order to emerge victorious against India. In the crucial encounter against Australia, they seemed marginally the better side and had opportunities to post an epochal victory. Even though they had to settle for a draw in that match and couldn’t make it to the semi-finals, India completed their redoubtable campaign with a resounding 3-1 win over Germany, finishing fifth in the standings.
One of the salient features of the Salima Tete-led side was their defensive structure. India’s man-to-man marking (woman-to-woman marking), communication skills and positional awareness seemed to be good. The first-line rushers were excellent, and it seemed as if India’s defence was based on the “teeter-totter” method, better known as staggered zone formations, where the defenders aligned at different depths. No wonder, even the Netherlands couldn’t score a field goal against them. So, a lot of credit has to go to Ishika Chaudhary, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Lalthantluangi, Jyoti, Shilpi Dabas and Co.
The other salient feature of the Indian team was their goalkeeping. Now, Savita Punia is a household name in the world of hockey, and she also put on a stellar show against the Netherlands. But in addition to Savita, India have found a promising goalkeeper in Bichu Devi. Just a few months ago, she showcased her class while playing in the Women’s World Qualifiers match against Italy. Bichu made at least three saves in that encounter while coming up against Ivanna Pessina and Lola Brea.
Even in the Hockey World Cup, it was her stunning save from a tomahawk strike by Tessa Howard that ensured the game against England would end in a stalemate. After watching that save, Sjoerd Marijne, the Indian head coach, punched the air in sheer delight.
Marijne. Hearing that name itself is enough to shower praise on India’s head coach. Under his tutelage, India finished fourth in the Tokyo Olympics. During his second stint, India put on their best show in Women’s World Cups since 1974. As an outsider, it is hard to gauge the mood in the camp, but compared to the Olympic Qualifiers in 2024, India seemed like a relaxed unit.
In an exclusive chat with RevSportz, the coach said, “The main thing we have done, of course, with the whole staff, is build unity within the team and bring back discipline and enjoyment, because those are very important. The unity factor is also important to me, and those are the things we have been working really hard on. Along with that, we have also worked on the structure of the way we play.”
Alongside Marijne, the legendary Taeke Taekema and Dr Wayne Lombard joining the squad has also helped India upgrade their fitness levels and technical skills. Despite all the positives, there were enough misplaced passes. And especially against Australia, they were perhaps not good enough when it came to controlling the ball while in possession. The finishing touches too seemed to be lacking. Nikki Pradhan missing a rather easy chance in that India-Australia game would haunt this unit for a long time. In that respect, Navneet Kaur and Ishika’s goals in the classification match would have brought cheer to the Indian camp.
The macro picture also shows that there is a cloud hanging over the future of the Women’s Hockey India League. In fact, Savita posted a long thread on X, highlighting how the existence of the league is important for budding players to learn the trade. To illustrate the point, just imagine the kind of experience a young goalkeeper would gain while coming up against Jansen. Simulations simply can’t provide a young player with a practical examination of that calibre.
Despite a few negatives, it was a fine performance from the Indian side. Just remember that India missed out on taking part in the Paris Olympics. They also crashed out of the Pro League and had to paddle their way through the Qualifiers to book a place in the World Cup. Logic says that if India sustain the momentum, they have a decent chance of winning a medal at the 2028 Olympics.
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