If only Jugraj can make a comeback—though it's difficult to see that happen in a hurry, at least before the Olympic qualifiers—the Indians will be the team to watch out for in 2004. The absence of a drag-flick expert like Jugraj was obvious in Kuala Lumpur, but as it always happens, this handicap brought out the best in some others in the team like Dilip Tirkey, who handled the penalty corners well.
Coach Rajinder Singh too seemed to have learnt from his mistakes in Amstelveen. He was quite hesitant about using rolling substitutions in Champions Trophy. In KL, he used his bench strength very effectively and this kept the team fairly fresh even in the closing stages of a match—an Indian team scoring twice in the last two minutes of an important match like the final of a tournament is indeed a rarity.
Match Point 
Kabhi Carrot, Kabhi Stick 
