NEW DELHI: The Indian hockey team is preparing for an intense schedule that features both the World Cup from August 15 to 30 and the Asian Games from September 19 to October 4. This demanding timeframe has highlighted a crucial tactical oversight that has prompted a reassessment within the team’s management.
Event Context
For a team eager to break a 51-year drought for a World Cup medal, mastering man-to-man hockey has become essential rather than optional.
‘All the teams in our pool play man-to-man during the World Cup, so we are currently focusing on that aspect,’ Hardik explains. ‘In this system, we must be physically fit and strong. We need to embrace the physicality of the game and not shy away from intense matchups.’
‘Our training emphasizes fitness since we have consecutive matches ahead. With only a two-week gap between the World Cup and the Asian Games, prioritizing fitness comes first, followed by our tactical adjustments and our ability to adapt quickly,’ the talented midfielder adds.
Additionally, the team is undergoing the Yo-Yo test, striving to maintain a collective performance level around 22—the same benchmark Hardik remembers achieving before their memorable Olympic medal journey. This preparation is crucial as they gear up for these significant upcoming events.
Player Focus
Zonal defense enables players to focus on designated areas of the field, utilizing spatial awareness and coordinated pressing. In contrast, man-to-man marking requires continuous tracking, exceptional one-on-one tackling, and significantly increased physical demands.
This tactical requirement has led Hardik to characterize the rigorous one-mile (1.6km) test as the toughest physical assessment of his international career. Players must complete eight laps around the pitch in a limited time frame. This evaluation serves as a benchmark for measuring cardiovascular endurance and estimating VO2 max to meet fitness criteria.
As a result, the squad has engaged in targeted training sessions over the past few months. Forwards are refining their scoring abilities through specialized shooting drills, while midfielders are honing their passing and receiving skills under pressure. Defenders are dedicating extra time to perfect their tracking runs and tackling techniques. These additional practices are designed to address the late-game defensive breakdowns that have historically affected India’s performance.
The vice-captain expresses confidence in the team’s progress, viewing the Pro League resurgence as a crucial learning experience. He believes that their determined efforts against elite teams reflect a foundation of strength.
Team Analysis
The challenge? A vulnerability to the intense physical man-to-man marking strategies preferred by European powerhouses. Nevertheless, the team is addressing this issue head-on.
The first half of the 2025-26 FIH Pro League season mirrored this struggle. During their home fixtures in Rourkela in February, India faced defeats in all four matches against Belgium and Argentina, losing two games to each team. In Hobart later that month, under the leadership of Harmanpreet Singh, the team showed improvement, recording one outright loss, two shootout losses, and a shootout win.
However, the squad coached by Craig Fulton found greater success in Rotterdam in June, where they split their matches against world champions Germany and Olympic gold medalists Netherlands, winning two and losing two. With newfound momentum, India concluded their campaign with one shootout win and one loss against hosts England in London, followed by two consecutive wins over Pakistan.
India’s vice-captain Hardik Singh attributes the team’s initial struggles to fatigue brought on by a packed domestic schedule, specifically the Hockey India League. This fatigue revealed some structural and tactical weaknesses.
“We excel in zonal defense but find man-to-man marking challenging,” Hardik shared during an interview with HT.
As they prepare for the World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium, India is pitted against teams—England, Wales, and Pakistan—that favor this style of hockey. Advancing further in this prestigious tournament will likely require facing the Olympic champions, Netherlands, who have been pivotal in shaping modern man-to-man pressing strategies.
To compete against the best in such a physically demanding game, a team must possess exceptional physical stamina. Hardik emphasizes that fitness is paramount, as the key to effective man-to-man marking relies on maintaining endurance. A decline in fitness during the final quarter can jeopardize the entire marking system.
