A second-string Indian
men’s hockey team will play a three Test series against Bangladesh to gain
vital exposure before the upcoming Asian Games. Although team is marked by the
absence of players from the Commonwealth Games-bound squad, there is a possibility
that some of these fringe players could make it to the Incheon-bound squad. Experienced
defender Vickram Kanth will captain the so-called India ‘A’ side, while former forward-turned-midfielder
S K Uthappa will be his deputy.
The 18-member squad features talented drag-flicker Gurjinder Singh besides medio Jasjit Singh, who made his senior international debut at the 2014 World Cup. The team also comprises Yuvraj Walmiki and Lalit Upadhyay, both of whom were sent as late-minute replacements for the injured combo of Ramandeep Singh and Nikkin Thimmaiah at the 2014 World Cup.
Yuvraj’s brother Devender along with striker Nithin Thimmaiah, who played in the Hockey World Final Round in New Delhi, is also named in the squad.
The team, which leaves for Dhaka on Tuesday, will play the first Test against Bangladesh on August 6 and then have a day off before locking horns in the second Test on August 8. The third and final Test will be played on August 9.
Squad: Goalkeepers: Harjot
Singh, Sushant Tirkey; Defenders: Gurmail Singh, Harbir Singh Sandhu, Gurjinder Singh, Vickram
Kant (captain), Vikas Pillay, Gurinder Singh; Midfielders: S. K. Uthappa
(vice-captain), Jasjit Singh, Devinder Sunil Walmiki, Satbir Singh, Harjeet
Singh; Forwards: Affan Yousuf, Yuvraj Walmiki, Nithin Thimmaiah, Talwinder
Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay.
1 comment:
A test series against Korea would have been more useful.
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