By Olympic Gold Medallist M. N. Masood
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Practice Matches
| There were times when the big
crowd rose to its feet due to the tenseness of the moment.
Such moments were frequent towards the end when Madras, four goals down, rose splendidly and scored two goals through Blankley and kept India on the defensive. Who knows what the result would have been if Madras had played with the same determination throughout the game. |
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India 5 - Madras Indians 1
India 5 - All Madras 3
We arrived in Madras on June 20 at 5:15 pm, and played the next evening at 6:00 pm against the 'Combined Indians Madras' team.
The game was dull and scrappy throughout. The local team took the lead very early, but could not hold it for long. Dhyan equalised within five minutes, and then put his side ahead in another four minutes. Emmett later scored off a pass from Dhyan, who scored the fourth goal after a good bit of dribbling. Roop added the fifth and the last goal of an uninteresting match.
The Indian team was as follows: Fernandes; Phillips and Mohammad Hussain; Cullen, Nimal and Gallibardy; Ahmad Sher Khan, Emmett, Dhyan Chand, Roop Singh and Jaffar.
The next day, India played against All-Madras at 6:00 pm. Madras scored and led by one goal in the first two minutes, Emmett equalised soon after and Roop put us ahead by one goal, followed by another by Dhyan. Emmett scored one more goal before the interval and his third and the last goal of our side after the resumption.
This was a stiffer game and consequently there were times when the big crowd rose to its feet on account of the unexpectedness or tenseness of the moment. Such moments were frequent towards the end of the game when Madras, four goals down, rose splendidly and scored two goals through Blankley and kept India on the defensive for a quarter of an hour.
Once again India's teamwork began to totter in the way it did against Delhi a few days earlier, and who knows what the result would have been if Madras had played with the same determination throughout the game as it did towards the end.
We left Madras on the June 22 at 9:30 pm by the Bangalore Mail.
The Indian team was as follows: Fernandes; Tapsell and Mohammad Hussain; Cullen, Nimal and Gurcharan Singh; Shahabuddin, Emmett, Dhyan Chand, Roop Singh and Jaffar.
India 4 - Bangalore 1
We arrived in Bangalore on June 23 at 6:45 am, and played the same evening at 6:00 pm against the Bangalore Hockey Association.
Bangalore is reputed to be a strong hockey centre, and has produced players like Weston of Calcutta Customs. Bangalore had sent a team to Calcutta in 1931 to compete in the Beighton Cup tournament, and the impression that team left behind of her technique of the game is still very fresh in the minds of those who had seen her in action.
Bangalore played against us with determination and courage, and had the advantage of playing on a gravel ground to which most of our players were not accustomed. Bangalore played brighter and faster hockey, but was found lacking in those tactics which bring a goal with apparent ease and freedom of movement. Bangalore lost 1-4.
We left Bangalore on June 24 at 1:35 am by the Bangalore Passenger.
The Indian team was as follows: Fernandes; Phillips and Mohammad Hussain; Cullen, Nimal and Gallibardy; Ahmad Sher Khan, Shahabuddin, Dhyan Chand, Roop Singh and Jaffar.
Dhyan Chand and M. N. Masood - June 3, 1936