17 June 2016, New Delhi: As India prepares to take on the mighty Australians in the final encounter today in the FIH Champions Trophy in London,  back home their counterparts Sardar Singh and drag flick specialist Rupinder Singh Pal who have been rested for the tournament are proud of the team’s performance at the tournament and confident the team will stand up to the challenge. “Australia has brought their full team to the tournament and a good show against them will make a huge difference to the team’s morale in the lead up to the Olympics,” said Sardar Singh.

Hockey: India take on Australia in Champions Trophy final

According to Singh,  the Sreejesh-led squad has delivered on what was expected of them for the tournament and have implemented the tactics they planned here at the national camp in SAI,  South Centre. “This is the first time I’m watching my team on TV and this has helped me in analysing our game. I am happy every player has carried out their responsibilities. Though the match against South Korea was very close, it was an important win and a late field goal by Nikkin was impeccable. A win against Germany would have been brilliant too as they have brought their core team that will play at the Olympics. But a draw against them is a very good result too considering they are the defending Olympic gold medallists,” added the India skipper, who will join the team for the Six Nations Invitational Tournament in Valencia,  Spain.

Against Australia in the the finale,  the key would be to stop them from scoring early goals. “The crucial thing against Australia is to hold our nerve till the last minute of the match,” feels Sardar.

Meanwhile,  drag flick specialist Rupinder Singh is excited about the youngsters performance in Champions Trophy. “Players like Mandeep and Harmanpreet have shown their mettle with a good show. The coach’s idea of a rotation policy was to give them a chance to test their abilities both mentally and physically and I feel they have done well for themselves. As a defender,  I am also happy the team has done well in this aspect,” Rupinder concluded, wishing the team their best to win a medal in London.

India take on Australia in their tournament final tonight at 00:45 IST.

The FIH Champions Trophy is broadcast Live on Star Sports 2 and HD 2.

Tags: #HCT2016, Australia, Champions Trophy, FIH Champions Trophy, Hockey, India