Rajgir: India players celebrate the goal during the Men’s Asia Cup Men’s Hockey Cup between India and Malaysia in Rajgir in Bihar. (PTI Photo/Swapan Mahapatra) (PTI09_04_2025_000423A) Rajgir: The Indian male hockey team is just a step away from getting to the final of the Asia Cup, and the state is none other than China before them. In the first group game, the Indians gave difficult times and again hope to prevent their progress to the top of the table.And given how India appeared in this tournament occasionally, it does not seem impossible. Coach Craig Fulton, however, does not care much about what has happened in the last few games, and believes the team will hit the top at the right time.“We also drew with Japan during the Asian Champions trophy in 2023. Then we played them in the semifinals and won the 5-0. So we are fast students. It’s not something you are planning and going.“That’s probably what happened in the first two games. We weren’t sharp where we had to be. And now I think we’re growing in the tournament. It is better to start 5-0, 5-0 and then lose important games.But after he said, he is concerned about how the team plays when the crowd is really aloud and the team is in the place of harassment. Rather than being folded and calm, they were restless and tried too hard.“We had to deal with a moment a little better. The crowd hurts on blood. So they want goals and when the sounds rise, everyone thinks we have to hit it more or more. But as I said from the first, we have to be a little calmer at a moment and then see more and then (find out) where there is space.And it’s something the team worked on with the Paddy Upton mental conditioning coach – to make the moments better. There is another area that Fulton wants to make the team better, and these are the crowds’ expectations.
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“I just think expectations are what you need to do because everyone wants to win and everyone wants every shot to enter. But that doesn’t work like that. Maybe one game in ten works like this and anything you shoot.However, this is exactly what they will have to do if they have to beat China on Saturday and get into the Sunday finals. They will also hope for a better show by their goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak. Although he made a brilliant savings from the criminal corner against Malaysia, he admitted at other times easy goals, but as Fulton said, “You just had to support your” guard “.“Goalling is such a different position than any other position. Make one mistake, it’s your fault. The attackers can make 10 errors and it’s a goalkeeper’s mistake. So we try to balance how important this role is, so if it makes a mistake, someone else or team or group, we have a bumper.It is high time to do it, because one slip on Saturday could prove to be very expensive if the match between Malaysia and South Korea is not as expected.The scenario explainedFour teams that played two matches, each in the Super4s phase, India are on top with four points, while China and Malaysia are second and third and every three points. South Korea is the last with one point and is out of dispute. With India’s place in the finals still uncertain, here is a list of what could happen on the last day of the Super4s phase:“If India wins or the lot, they will end between the first two teams and go to the finals, even if it is happening in the second match.“If India loses, they can still go to the finals if Malaysia loses or attracts.🔴 IF India Lose and Malaysia victory, China and Malaysia will pass as the two best teams.🔴 If India’s victory and Malaysia lose or attract, then China qualifies next to India.
