International hockey will return to the capital after a 10-year gap when Olympic bronze-medallists India take on world champions Germany in a two-Test bilateral series starting here on Wednesday, aiming to test some new faces and extract revenge for a recent heartbreak inflicted by the visitors. (Live Streaming | More Sports News)
For the last 10 years, the capital's Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, once considered the spiritual home of the game, has not hosted any international match.
The last game played here was the 2014 Hero World League Final, although inter-departmental hockey has been held here occasionally.
But the two Tests against the world No.2 and Paris Olympics silver-winning outfit on Wednesday and Thursday would be a perfect comeback for the sport.
It has been learnt that over 12,000 fans have already registered for the free tickets on offer through a private ticketing portal. The National Stadium has a seating capacity of just over 16,000.
The two Tests hold great significance for Indian hockey, which is on an upswing following back-to-back Olympic bronze medals in Tokyo and Paris.
In the French capital, the Indians, under the talismanic and in-form Harmanpreet Singh's leadership, lost 2-3 to Germany in a closely-contested semifinal.
"This series is not just about the two teams playing; it's about reviving the spirit of hockey in Delhi. We hope this will inspire more young players from the region to take up the game," Harmanpreet had said after the rubber was announced.
That sentiment aside, India also have a very good opportunity to avenge their loss in Paris.
But the Germans will be a hard nut to crack as they are the reigning world champions and displayed that fortitude in Paris, going down only in the shoot-out to Netherlands in the gold medal match.
Going by rankings, the Germans are favourites as India are currently placed fifth in the world but in modern hockey, there is hardly any difference between the top 10 teams and anyone can beat a high-placed rival on their day.
In the last five encounters between the two sides, India hold an edge, having won three and lost two.
India have been on a high since the Paris Olympics. A new-look team retained the Asian Champions Trophy title in September, beating hosts China 1-0 in the final. That was India's fifth ACT title.
The Indians have fielded a mix of youth and experience for the two matches, thereby highlighting chief coach Craig Fulton's vision of planning for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The most notable inclusion in the squad is defender and drag-flicker Varun Kumar, who is returning after a sabbatical from the game that was forced by allegations of sexual harassment by a junior volleyball player. His name has since been cleared in the matter.
The Indians will be led by star drag-flicker Harmanpreet, who is enjoying the form of his life and mid-fielder Vivek Sagar Prasad will be his deputy.
The hosts, however, will continue to miss the services of mid-field mainstay Hardik Singh, who is still recovering from an injury he sustained at the Olympics.
Fulton drafted in some new faces in mid-fielder Rajinder Singh and striker Aditya Arjun Lgale, who will be making their international debut. Besides Vivek, veteran Manpreet Singh will be in charge of the mid-field.
Striker Mandeep Singh, who was rested for the ACT, will look to dazzle upfront in the company of Sukhjeet Singh, Abhishek, and Dilpreet Singh among others.
The Indian goal will be manned by Krishan Bahadur Pathak and Suraj Karkera, who lived up to expectations in the ACT in Hulunbuir, China after the legendary PR Sreejesh's retirement.
The two matches will provide the newcomers and comeback-men a chance to prove their mettle in front of the team management and national selectors.
