BHUBANESWAR: It's difficult to find a player who can be the team's engine room as well as an attacker, whose blazing runs past defenders remind people of a Dhanraj Pillay or a Shahbaz Ahmed. Hardik Singh's rise, and particularly his form in the ongoing Hockey World Cup, has set the bar high for the others. But the 24-year-old midfielder may have to wait for a bit before he can raise that bar higher in the ongoing tournament being held in Odisha.
Tuesday had an air or relief mixed with apprehension when India landed on the Kalinga Stadium training pitch. The relief was the presence of Hardik. Forty eight hours ago, he wasn't able to stand on his own and was helped off the pitch in the match against England on January 15, after suffering what looked like a hamstring injury. On Tuesday, he was able to walk.
