One readily identifies with Manpreet when he says this tour is going to give the team ‘valuable experience’. “It will be a valuable experience to know their game up and close ahead of Paris,” he said. “When we play against the best teams, naturally, we improve our game and learn as well. We are going with a mindset to beat them.
“There used to be a mental block playing against Australia in the past. In the last few years, there has not been any extra pressure when we are playing against them. If you look at our recent match-ups, the competition has been closer. I think, now the gap that used to exist between the two sides has reduced. The confidence level of all the players now remains the same even when we are playing against Australia.”
The team will also have Paddy Upton around during their Australia trip. Upton, a mental conditioning coach, has worked on and off with the team since coming on board in the middle of last year. When asked to elaborate on the kind of effect Upton has had on the team, Manpreet was effusive in his praise. “We spoke about how we should concentrate on the controllables,” Manpreet said. “He taught us to think step-by-step about our goals and not think about what will happen once we win the medal because these are all distractions and we need to avoid them. He has helped with the small things that make a lot of difference while playing.”
What the team does over the next week or so in Perth will not decide what will happen in Paris in July and August. But if they can find that winning touch against the gold medal contenders, it will keep them in good stead. Especially because Australia (and Belgium) are in India’s Pool.
Schedule: April 6, April 7, April 10, April 12, April 13.
