An exciting contest is on cards as heavyweights Indian Oil and Air India clash in the grand final of the MHAL (Mumbai Hockey Association Limited) Super Division League 2015 at the MHAL-Mahindra Stadium, Churchgate on Thursday evening at 4.30 pm. Both the teams have been unbeaten as they finished on top in the respective pools and they would aim to extend that run.
Air India captain Shivendra Singh will have a key role to play in the finals of MHAL Super Division League .
Reigning champions, Indian Oil, who had surprisingly failed to make the semi-finals of the Guru Tegh Bahadur tournament, here, in Mumbai last month, have bounced back to form and will look to maintain the momentum if they harbour hopes to retain their status as hockey champs of Mumbai.
On the other hand, last year’s runners-up and eight-time champions Air India, who lifted the Guru Tegh Bahadur title, will be determined to continue with their fine showing and regain the Super League crown, which they had last won in 2010.
Both Indian Oil and Air India boasting of several Olympians and former internationals in their ranks have contrasting style of play and it would be interesting to witness which team manages to outsmart the other to come up trumps.
Indian Oil who prefer, to play a fast attacking game will depend on the vast experience of stalwarts, captain Deepak Thakur and Prabhjot Singh, who have been playing together for almost a decade and a half, and the duo strike a lethal combination to form a potent attack. They receive excellent backing for Roshan Minz, Bharat Chikara, Inderjit Singh Chadha, Vikram Kanth and Hamza Mujtaba and with their pace they could stretch the Air India defence and goalkeeper Adrian D’Souza busy.
Meanwhile, Air India who having been playing intelligently by slowing down the pace and keeping ball possession before launching counter-attacks will look to Joga Singh along with youngsters Aiyappa P.R. and Pawan Kumar to carry out the attacks. The Air India midfield marshalled by their experienced captain Shivendra Singh in the company of the clever Arjun Halappa, Vikram Pillay, A.B. Cheeyanna and Nirmal Chinnappa have shown good coordination in the middle and will provide good support to the forwards and also prop up the defence.
Indian Oil’s veteran goalkeeper Devesh Chauhan as usual is expected to tend the goal in the first half before reverse custodian Baljit Singh takes charge in the second half.
Both the coaches, Ramesh Parameswaran of Indian Oil and his Air India counter-part Dhanraj Pillay will certainly have to try and chalk out the smartest strategies to gain the upper hand and emerge victorious.
Hockey enthusiasts can expect a great feast of exciting moments on the morrow as the giants, battle for supremacy.