After losing 1-4 to Spain, the Indians return home from the Azlan Shah Cup tournament in Kuala Lumpur with just a point in their kitty. This also happens to be their fifth defeat in six games. But this isn’t a crisis considering an experimental team was participating in KL - the exposure and a few ‘finds’ have made this a fruitful trip to Malaysia. But this is where the good news ends, the biggest setback was the poor conversion rate in penalty corner. Four goals from 17 PCs means 25 per cent conversion rate which is far below their own average in 2002-2003 season. These figures should worry the Indian think-tank before the Olympic qualifiers. And since India’s main PC specialists — Len Ayyappa, Sandeep Singh and Baljit Dhillon — were present, the ‘second-string excuse’ doesn’t work here. The importance of converting PCs in modern hockey has hit on the head during this tournament. Out of the 18 matches played in the tournament so far, 13 were decided by PCs. And without doubt drag-flick was the variation most used and proved to be the most effective weapon. Pakistan benefitted the most as ‘drag-flick king’ Sohail Abbas has been the highest scorer. With eight drag-flick goals - two hat-tricks included - meant he almost single-handedly took Pakistan in the final. And since none of the Indian PC specialists were in the same quality, the team ended with the wooden spoon in the tournament. After Jugraj Singh’s injury, the Indians have failed to find a suitable replacement. The only PC expert who wasn’t there in the KL tour happens to be Dilip Tirkey. But since Tirkey opts for the obsolete straight hit - and not the in vogue drag-flick - India’s search for an elusive PC expert hasn’t ended.
