Hockey News: We need to switch on from start to finish, says Graham Reid, the Indian hockey coach

He believes his team should reduce defensive lapses and intensify their attack when they face New Zealand in the second leg of the FIH Pro League.

India had a successful campaign opener with a 4-3 win against New Zealand on October 28 before losing to Spain 2-3. They are to compete against Spain on Sunday for the second leg.

According to Graham Reid, the team management is working to deliver a better performance this weekend. "We are looking to press more. We conceded too many opportunities," said the coach. 

"Although I was pleased with our defensive structure in the match against Spain, we let ourselves down in vital areas, making two or three mistakes that cost us dearly," he added before the match against New Zealand.

He demands increased intensity in attack from his players and not just in intervals. They have been practising agility work to boost their fitness levels. 

"But it's more of a mental thing to be switched on throughout the match and not show dominance in patches. That'sThat's where our focus will be this weekend," Graham Reid continued. 

Captain Harmanpreet Singh revealed that the squad is working on improving its weak points based on their recent performances. "Our tackling ability outside the D can be much better and not give any room for the opponents to create space," he said.

Despite being asked to adhere to a new gameplay style, they are in an excellent mental and physical state. They will adopt different tactics for different teams to focus on reaping positive results. 

India men's hockey team's preparations for the FIH World Cup

The Indian Men's Hockey contingent has young players waiting to star in the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023 in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. 

The bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics has taken the country by storm. Amit Rohidas, a member of the Indian Hockey men's squad

shared that the prospect of playing the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023, Bhubaneswar and Rourkela in his home ground is an emotional matter to him. 

The surge in the love and support received by Indian hockey has motivated the team to spare more time in preparation for the tournament. About the upcoming weeks ahead of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup, Amit Rohidas revealed that the Indian squad is "taking things step by step."

They will play a few matches in the FIH Pro Hockey League 2022-23 in Bhubaneswar and then fly to Australia for a series before starting their campaign at the FIH Odisha Hockey Men'sMen's World Cup 2023, Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.

"We are taking it to step by step, game by game. Our training sessions are continuing with good intensity, and we are doing our best to ensure we get things right," he added.