Indian men’s hockey team seek dominance over Japan

With the four-Test hockey series already in the pocket, India will be eyeing their third consecutive win against Japan in their fourth and final match at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on 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 win.

After playing three matches and getting positive results from all three matches, India are in a better position and are more confident to win the last Test of the series.

“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 Raghunath said on Friday, according to a release.

“Young players are doing a commendable job and they are taking responsibilities, which is good for the team,” the 26-year-old Karnataka player added.

“We are focussing on our implementations of the strategies and looking forward to win the last match.” Senior players like captain Sardar Singh, goalkeeper PR Sreejesh and drag-flicker VR Raghunath are leading from the front. They have been backed well by youngsters Birendra Lakra, Rupinder Pal Singh and Akashdeep Singh.