By S. Thyagarajan

EDINBURGH, JULY 21. Hold your breath. India is through to the second stage. That an announcement has to be made after such suspense and agony perhaps portrays the pathetic state of a nation whose very sporting ethos rested with competitive hockey that others eagerly wanted to learn.

At the World Cup qualifier here, India made heavy weather of Egypt's challenge, keeping everyone on pins and needles before accomplishing what looks a comfortable margin from Pool A to finish behind New Zealand at the University Sports Centre in Peffermill.

There were so many permutations that it looked as though India may even end up without a place in the last eight. A victory was a must, but at half-time a defeat was almost averted thanks to two spectacular saves by goal-keeper Jude Menezes. These two moments, which Egypt raised through the efforts of Belan Ebrahim, kept the contest on an even keel when play resumed after half- time.

Briefly, India recovered its precision and rhythm to pump in three, one from a stroke, and the other two through whipping backhanders by Daljit Singh Dhillon and Arjun Hallappa.

What needs to be stressed here is the fact that India has not shown an iota of confidence, constructive work and cohesion. Lacking woefully in flair and fluency, and above all, in finesse - the factors that gave class and character to our hockey - the Indians struggled match after match. Dribbling, the art for which India is renown, now seems be extinct; and the style projected is neither Asian nor European, nor even a hybrid fashioned from the best of both.

Lack of experience may be a genuine reason for this, but should the administration take such a huge gamble for the qualifier is a question that needs to discussed. A World Cup without India in Kuala Lumpur will be a catastrophe, and can have a devastating impact on the national psyche.

Undeniably, the team was under pressure. And when the moment came, there were blemishes galore, in working with the ball or moving up in tandem. There is no individual brilliance of a Dhanraj Pillay, the speed of a Mukesh Kumar, the incisiveness of Sabu Varkey, the solidity of a Ramandeep Singh or Mohammad Riaz. With Barla in the injured list, the defence has to rely on the youthful Kanwalpreet Singh, who is performing well. Tirkey has maintained a low profile until now.

Gagan Ajit Singh was rested for the match and Arjun Halappa was put upfront. Not very incisive, but imaginative, Halappa shouldered the responsbility with some enthusiasm despite being tentative in the first part of the match. Baljit Singh Dhillon perforce had to work harder. He too got bogged down because of the lack of symmetry in the frontline sallies. Samir Dad did not fit in nor was Brojen Singh worth his picking.

Daljit Singh Dhillon was inconsistent, though he scored a brilliant goal early in the second half to inject an element of sparkle to India's performance. It was really an immaculate effort which began with a flick pass by Prabhjot Singh, and developed by Baljit Dhillon, before Daljit produced a stunning backhander from the top of the circle.

The mid-field, no doubt, worked hard, but was not tight enough to keep the deep defence or the goal-keeper from being subjected to pressure. Bimal Lakra was the pick of the lot, and the rest were only average. In the circumstances, it was creditable for Jude Menezes to have brought off those two saves to keep India on the brim and continue to march forward in the second half.

After Daljit Singh put India ahead, there was a semblance of pace in the frontline sallies carried neatly by Prabhjot Singh. In a move that evolved Arjun and Bipin, the Egyptian defence made a desperate attempt to throttle the surge. Ahmen Zeinhom stick checked Bipin for a penalty stroke which Baljit Singh Dhillon converted without any fuss.

Not long after came the third from Arjun Halappa who made capital out of a forward pass by Baljit Singh Dhillon. His reverse shot caught goal-keeper Mohammad Mallah at an awkward angle.

Forthright and formidable, the Egyptian attack showed vigour and power but not the cool efficiency required to outstretch a combination like India. The gangling Belal Ebrahim caused quite a few uncomfortable moments for the Indian defence, which, anyway, was not well organised. There were specks of rough play too by the Egyptians inviting the notice of the umpires. Din Ahmen was given a yellow card midway through the second half.

The Egyptians, however, worked up so many moves in the last quarter that the pressure on the Indian defence emerged clear. The portents conveyed a sense of danger and so it proved when Walid Mohammad profited from a penalty corner scrimmage to hoist the goal for Egypt. India managed the rest of the time with a measure of assurance.

Kasoof scores winner for Kiwis

With the match winner from David Kasoof surfacing when only seconds remained for the hooter, New Zealand posted its third win in as many matches in Pool A. New Zealand tops with a tally of nine, followed by India (6), Wales (3) and Egypt (0).

Wales began the contest with an outside chance of pushing New Zealand out of contention if it were to win 2-0. From the way Wales hit back against Egypt the other day, such a result was not improbable. But too much circumspection by both the outfits, robbed the contest of charm. Only the intensity was palpable, which can be gleaned from the three yellow cards issued. Brett Lever and Darren Smith for New Zealand and Hugh Jones of Wales had to cool their heals in the second half.

Constructive hockey was conspicuous by its absence, and the exchanges were restricted to the mid-field. New Zealand had seven penalty corners against the three for Wales. Even as everyone settled for a drawn game, came the goal from David Kasoof.

Poland beats U.S.A.

Poland beat United States on Friday to take the top spot in Pool D with a sweep of three victories and nine points. Earlier, Canada became the second team from this pool to enter the second stage. Artur Mikula scored first but U.S. levelled before half- time through a penalty stroke converted by the Japanese player in the American team, Shawn Nakamura, who also leads the side. In the second half, Poland hit back to score four goals. Artur Mikula, Piotr Mikula, Marcin Strykowski, and Tomasz Choczaj were the scorers.