Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, May 8: With the four-Test hockey series already in pocket, India will be eyeing their third consecutive win against Japan in their fourth and final match at the Kalinga Stadium here Saturday.
After playing a 1-1 draw in the first match, India won the next two matches to win the series. And for the final Test, they will be aiming at continuing with their attacking game with short passes whereas Japan will look to get their first victory.
“We have been playing good hockey in this tournament and will continue to play in this way. Players are confident and in a good shape,” senior defender VR Raghunath who scored a goal in Thursday’s 2-1 victory, said here Friday.
“The young players are doing a commendable job and they are taking responsibilities which are good for the team. We are focusing on our implementations of the strategies and looking forward to win the last match,” the 26-year-old added.
Senior players like captain Sardar Singh, goalkeeper PR Sreejesh and drag-flicker Raghunath are leading from the front. They have been backed well by youngsters Birendra Lakra, Rupinder Pal Singh and Akashdeep Singh.
Raghunath however, stated that the team needs to work harder to improve the penalty corner conversion rate. “Penalty corners are a worry for us but we are working harder on that. Chief coach Paul van Ass is good in strategies and we are working on various game-plans,” pointed out Raghunath.
Speaking after a practice session, Japan coach Keonwook Kang stated: “We have played well and the players are improving. We are working hard on correcting our mistakes and focusing more on strategies. Tomorrow (Saturday), we will try our best to win the first match of the series,” stated Kang.
