CWG 2022: Indian men's hockey team opens campaign against lowly Ghana in search of elusive gold

Commonwealth Games gold, the Indian men's hockey team will look to start its campaign on a rousing note against lowly Ghana in its opening Pool B match on Sunday. The phenomenal success at the Tokyo Olympics, where India clinched a historic bronze after 41 years, has ignited hopes from the Manpreet Singh-led side to stop the Australian juggernaut. Australia's dominance at the CWG is a matter of envy as the world No.1 Kookaburras have been the most dominant force in the Games' history, having won all the six gold medals till date.

Having missed out on a podium finish in the last edition of the Games in Gold Coast, India would be hungry for success here. Going by their form, the Indians can claim the elusive gold. India's best results came in 2010 at home (New Delhi) and in Glasgow (2014) where they finished runners-up.

The team finished fourth twice -- in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur, where the sport made its debut, and in 2018 in Gold Coast. The Indian team has improved by leaps and bounds under Australian Graham Reid. The competition in hockey at the CWG is pretty tough and, besides Australia, the Indians will have to get the better of teams like New Zealand, England, arch-rivals Pakistan and Canada to achieve their goal.

Talking about Sunday's game, this will be the first time India will play against Ghana since the 1975 men's World Cup. The last time the two teams played each other, India had won 7-0. Reid said adapting to the conditions had been a little tough for the side.

"It's surprisingly cold here. Each day, we get surprised and keep questioning whether the summer is coming anytime soon. Everyone is now settled in.