It has been some years since India has come to the fore in field hockey. Yes, they have won an occasional Asian Cup but it's not since the 1980 Moscow Olympics have they won an Olympic Gold medal and that was when the top nations boycotted.
So where is Indian hockey? They finished poorly at the World Cup held in New Delhi earlier this year when Australia won the title and on the way through beat India 5-3.
Indian hockey has all the hallmarks of being great again and it depends on their attacking flair. All the world's top teams – Australia, Germany, Netherlands, England, Spain have good defence. That goes without saying.
It's the attacking flair that makes the difference. The Australians are known for their flick of the wrist and death dives to make that final touch in face of goal. The Germans and Netherlands plan their attacks meticulously and fill in the blanks with deft defying movements of sheer brilliance.
The English team that won this year's European title have learnt how to deal with these moves and have themselves developed a penalty corner battery ramp which has proven better than better! Spain too has developed their skills in all these areas.
But India has consistently failed to match such skills near the circle zone. The difficulty India finds is getting inside the circle to attempt a goal. In field hockey, once cannot score unless you are inside that 16 yard circle zone.
It is not easy to make inside the circle. The great defensive ploys of the top teams will not, surprise surprise, allow an attacking team, inside the circle. It is not allowed!
The great teams get inside the circle! For many years India has failed to get inside the circle and consistently push their prowess into the shooting zone.
But now, rumour has it, the word is out around the hockey traps, that India has found a new way with a fresh appetite and the hockey world awaits.
The Commonwealth Games will have most of the top teams. Australia, Pakistan, India, England, New Zealand, Malaysia, South Africa. We can't wait!