Cheetahs have SF in sight

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The coming week will be momentous for Chennai Cheetahs in the Bridgestone World Series Hockey.

The Cheetahs will be playing four home matches on the trot and they must fire on all cylinders at the MRK Stadium to reach the semifinals.

Chennai forward Adam Sinclair said the league has entered a crucial phase and his team must maintain their tempo.

“We must win at least three of our four remaining home matches to remain in the hunt for the semifinals. There is little margin for error. So far we haven't done well at the MRK Stadium and the time has come to set our home record right,” he added.

Adam said the spirit in the team was fantastic. “Our performance in the last two matches has united the team. We are now a settled unit. Reaching the semifinals is a challenge every Cheetah cherishes. You will witness a different Chennai team against Bhopal Badshahs on Tuesday,” he added.

The Cheetahs ended their four-game winless streak with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Pune Strykers last week. According to Adam, coach Jose Brasa's decision to shift captain Brent Livermore from centre-half to sweeper helped the team turn a corner.

“Vikram Pillay has taken up Brent's centre-half role. The swapping has done both the players a world of good. Vikram is distributing passes with more assurance and Brent's presence has lifted our defence,” he said.

The WSH is turning out to be productive for Adam, who has scored five goals in nine matches. He has the speed and skill to match anyone in the league. “I can do much better,” he said.

The Olympian was happy with the performance of his younger Tamil Nadu mate, S. Sivamani. “He was thoroughly professional against the Strykers and the Lions.

In the Lions match at Bengaluru, his primary job was to mark Ravipal Singh, who had masterminded our defeat at home. Siva carried out his job with commitment and kept Ravipal calm throughout the match. I'm delighted that Siva also got on to the score sheet,” he said.

There is resentment in every Chennai player that the team haven't given anything for their fans to cheer about at the MRK Stadium.

“The MRK Stadium has one of the best atmospheres in the WSH. Our fans have been fantastic so far. They deserve a feast on the field and I’m sure we will treat them with fine performances in our remaining home matches,” Adam said.