STICK CHECK BEFORE ASIAD

It will be their first international match since 2008 in Chennai when they take the field against China in the Asian Champions Trophy match on Thursday evening

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN

TWENTY-SEVEN players in a little over two months. That is the number of players India coach Craig Fulton has used in competitive matches since his first game in charge against Belgium in the Pro League on May 26. There are more players back at the camp in Bengaluru. Over the next 10 days or so at the Asian Champions Trophy, the task for the team management is simple enough. Identify the players who will lead the team in their two main competitions over the next year: Asian Games and the Olympics (should they qualify).

That, of course, isn't the only agenda for the team who will be playing their first international in Chennai since early 2008. Eyes will also be on Paddy Upton who will undertake the role of mental conditioning coach, something he did with the Indian cricket team during the 2011 World Cup. There will also be renewed focus on the tactics and brand of hockey that Fulton wants to impact. Here are a few things to keep an eye on from an Indian perspective:

Player pool