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Indian junior hockey team eyes winning start (Preview)
Breda (The Netherlands): The Indian junior hockey team will look to make a positive start in the Volvo International Under-21 Tournament when it faces Germany here on Saturday.
After claiming the Sultan of Johor Cup title, India, coached by Harendra Singh, are confident of continuing their good work. Later, they beat Australia and New Zealand in the Test series in Brisbane in December last year.
“I am confident of a positive result and the team will put up a tough fight against Germany tomorrow. The boys will have to ensure that they attack and do not allow opponents to put pressure on us,” chief coach Harendra said in a release on Friday.
“We have worked hard on rectifying the mistakes and focussing more on strategies.”
The team is captained by promising midfielder Harjeet Singh, while talented defender Dipsan Tirkey will be the vice-captain. Apart from the duo, the performance of dynamic drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh will be key for India.
“We have undergone rigorous training sessions, which have improved our game and helped us to perform as a unit against top teams. The team is very excited and confident to face Germany and we hope to start off on a good note with a victory,” skipper Harjeet said ahead of the match.
After facing Germany, India will clash against Belgium, England, New Zealand and hosts The Netherlands.
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Sunil Gavaskar gives his opinion of GT allrounder Rahul Tewatia
The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.
Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.
Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”
Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.