Between losses and humiliating defeats

Indian goalkeeper P R Sreejesh has left his past behind with a stellar performance in the World Cup

In the otherwise miserable — and perhaps expected — performance of the Indian hockey team at the World Cup in the Netherlands, if there appeared a beacon of hope, then it was Sreejesh Parattu Ravindran.

The Indian goalkeeper not only had some memorable performances between the posts, but he also saved his team from worse humiliation in the matches. As former Indian captain Dhanraj Pillay told the media in the wake of India’s disastrous performance, “Only two players can hold their head high — Sardar Singh and Sreejesh.” Even Hockey India President Narinder Batra said that Sreejesh was the standout performer when most other players had failed to perform to expectations.

For someone whose place in the team was in jeopardy in the past two years, Sreejesh seems to have turned his career around. He was in competition with former India captain Bharat Chhetri for the position in goal. At the 2012 London Olympics, Sreejesh was benched in favour of Chhetri. But he reiterated his utility when he reclaimed his place and put in a heroic performance at the 2013 Asia Cup.

P R Sreejesh

Former India coach Joaquim Carvalho believes that Sreejesh is one of the few players of genuine quality in the Indian side. “He remains unfazed and perhaps has one of the most difficult jobs in the world of sport,” he says. It was the Indian goalkeeper who ensured India’s first point at the World Cup by pulling off incredible saves against Spain.

Former goalkeeping coach A B Subbaiah believes that Sreejesh always had the talent but was low on confidence. “He has very sharp reflexes and a good technique and has a bit of flair as well — all key ingredients of a good goalkeeper.”

Sreejesh, 26, made his debut for India in 2006 when he was a teenager. Since then he has had to compete with the likes of Adrian D’Souza and Chhetri. He had been a part of the senior squad but often as an understudy to the senior keepers. Subbaiah says that goalkeeping was a concern for the Indian team when Chhetri’s form dipped and Sreejesh found it tough to cement his spot. A severe back injury robbed him of the chance to play in the Delhi Commonwealth Games as well as the Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010. After recovering, he found it difficult to get back into the side. In 2011, he made his mark on the national team by helping India win the Asian Champions Trophy. But soon there was a dip in his form. “His confidence suffered,” recalls Subbaiah. Two years later and back in form, Sreejesh was declared the man of the tournament in the 2013 Azlan Shah Cup tournament in Malaysia.

The Hockey India League has been a good experience for the custodian. Last year, his performance in the tournament drew praise from Australian World Cup-winning goalkeeper George Bazeley. The Australian who plays for the Uttar Pradesh Wizards franchise had said, “He is undoubtedly an outstanding talent who has his best years ahead of him.”

“Now that he (Sreejesh) feels settled, you can see a drastic improvement in his performance,”  says Subbaiah. His biggest strengths, according to the coach, lie in his courage and ability to overcome mental barriers. “A goalkeeper’s job is tough anyway but when a team isn’t playing well it becomes even more difficult,” says Subbaiah.

With India set to finish outside the top 8 at the Netherlands, the Indian goalkeeper has admittedthat it has personally been a good tournament for him, unlike for the team. Hockey India has now ordered a “probe” into the Indian performance at the World Cup.

We can be sure, however, that the one thing the probe will not indict will be the goalkeeping.