Former Indian forward Gavin Ferreira Relives Moments of 1998 India-Germany Men’s Four Test Series
The India-Germany men’s hockey Test matches have always triggered excitement among fans for all the ‘competitive quotient’ both teams bring to the hockey turf. Twenty-six years back in early January of 1998, India and Germany locked horns in a Four Test Series played across multiple venues – Chennai, Bangalore, Amritsar, and New Delhi.
The Indian men’s team under the captaincy of Dhanraj Pillay (it was his debut as Indian captain) and coach Vasudevan Bhaskaran, strained every nerve against Paul Lissek-coached Germany in the opening Test match played in front of a 8,000 plus crowd at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium, Chennai. The hosts brought their crowd on their feet, wresting the initiative with Gavin Ferreira sounding the board in the 9th minute of play. but their ‘goal-scoring joy was short-lived’ as Germany rebounded almost immediately via Kai Hollensteiner.
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The Honamas were in a mood to spike the Indian guns as Patrick Ballenbaum pulled Germany ahead with a first-half goal and ‘literally took the contest away from the grasp of India’ adding another in the second half. Harbhajan Singh enlivened hopes of a late Indian fightback with a late strike to spice up the contest but Germany closed out the dying moments with aplomb to eke out a 3-2 win.
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India did not quite replicate the ‘fight exuded’ in the first Test and ‘cut a disappointing figure’ in the second Test at the Mayor Akkithimmanahalli Stadium, Bangalore, where a brace from Christoph Bechmann was enough for the Honamas to script a facile 2-0 win. The Blueshirts perhaps ‘dished out their best’ in the third Test at the Guru Hargobind Stadium, Amritsar (GNDU campus). Rooted by a noisy Amritsar crown on a cold afternoon, late Rajeev Mishra – one of the heroes of India’s 1997 Junior World Cup runners-up finish, gave India a first-half lead much to the excitement of the boisterous crowd but Michael Bjorn contrived an early second half goal to nullify India’s winning aspirations as both teams settled for a 1-1 draw – the result meant that Germany had bagged the Four Match Test Series with one game to play.
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There was ‘pride to play for’ the hosts in the 4th and final Test at the National Stadium, New Delhi. All such plans were nipped in the bud as Germany found in Marc Schreiber in a goal-hungry mood as he slammed a superb first half hat-trick. When it looked as if the inevitable was waiting to happen, the hosts struck first via Rajeev Mishra and subsequently Gavin Ferreira scored another with a minute left for the final hooter. Two late goals (two goals in last minutes) did brings India into the contest but they were racing against time to press for an equaliser as the clock kept ticking away in Germany’s favour as the latter won 3-2 to bag the Four Test Series 3-0.
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Former Indian forward Gavin Ferreira tries hard to recount the memories of the 1998 India-Germany Four Test Series. “It’s been more than two decades now – India-Germany matches are hugely competitive and the 1998 Four Test Series was no different. We fought hard but the final result may not always reflect that. I scored the first and last goal of the Four Test series. The Bangalore Test was one where we put up a big performance and ended up playing out a 1-1 draw after we had taken the lead in the first half,” recounts the 53-year-old former striker.
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Gavin, who had represented India at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and was India’s top goal-scorer at the showpiece event, relives one moment ‘of what he sees as a blunder’. “I have vivid memories of the Bangalore Test match. India won a penalty corner and in those days I used to be the short corner injector. I remember injecting the ball but the injection did not come off well, and Germany won possession and launched a fierce counterattack and managed to score. The fact that I did not inject the ball properly and Germany scored on regaining possession from that set-piece still rankles,” remembers Mumbai-based Gavin.
Image Credit: File Picture FIH
