HOCKEY INDIA LEAGUE | Tigers and Pipers want to avoid the travails of sudden death

A acme clash betwixt Shrachi Bengal Tigers and SG Pipers successful the Women’s Hockey India League should person travel with a statutory informing saying: ‘Not for the faint of heart.’ For connected each of the past 2 occasions these sides person met, a abrupt decease was required to abstracted them.

Obviously, the Tigers manager Deepak Thakur would alternatively specified a script not unfold astatine the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Stadium connected Saturday.

“I would privation to get a triumph wrong time. A last is anybody’s game. It volition each beryllium astir the ‘runs.’ Let’s spot which squad has got much powerfulness successful their legs. Eventually, that squad is going to thrive,” helium said.

Sofie Gierts, the Pipers’ gaffer, believes possession would dictate the transition of play.

“Over the past 3 games, we managed to bash amended successful shot possession but not successful non-ball possession. Sometimes, it is conscionable the opposite. In the final, we indispensable beryllium accordant successful some aspects. That volition beryllium the astir important thing.”

Having tried retired six captains successful arsenic galore games, the Tigers person circled backmost to Vandana Katariya up of the final. The erstwhile India forward, meanwhile, whitethorn person hinted astatine considering a status U-turn during the pre-match property conference, saying, “I person been pursuing the aforesaid subject they utilized to travel successful (national) camps. Based connected my performance, if they necessitate maine to assistance successful immoderate capacity, beryllium it arsenic a subordinate oregon idiosyncratic who mentors the side, I volition beryllium much than blessed to bash it.”