they think theyre the best U.S. team ever.Of course, it isnt.Five of the Americans on the team havent won this year. Only five of them have

India face hosts Australia in the first league match of the Four Nations Tournament in Melbourne on November 23. The tournament also features Malaysia and New Zealand.The Indian men, who will have Dutchman Roger van Gent accompany them as strategic coach, will also feature in a two-Test series against Australia, with the matches held in Bendigo on November 29 and November 30.Former national team captain and coach Vasudevan Baskaran says this tour will serve as a good learning experience for both teams.A tour of Australia is always tough, just like it is for our cricketers. You have to adjust to the climate, the speed of the ball and the fitness levels of your opponents, Baskaran told ESPN. They must take this tour as a good experience, and enjoy their game. They will play six games within a week, and they have had a good year already, said Baskaran, adding that the Indian team, currently ranked sixth in the world, must now start aiming to be among the top three.Baskaran also felt the Indian team had done well to recover from a disappointing quarter-final finish at the 2016 Olympics to win the Asian Champions Trophy, and this would have done their confidence a world of good in a year when they lost the Champions Trophy final via shootout to Australia. If you dont finish on the podium, then that confidence doesnt come. In that sense, they didnt capitalise on the Champions Trophy finish in Rio, and Argentina, who werent as good as India in the preliminary stages, went on to win the gold, he said.The Indian team headed to Australia will not have PR Sreejesh in goal, and defender V Raghunath will step in as captain.Like Sree, Raghu as captain must push and stop the boys when needed, said Baskaran. Like the goalkeeper, the defender also has a full view of the pitch and must observe all that is going on around him. With four quarters of hockey, he will have more opportunities to communicate between quarters about what needs to be done.This team will also feature a much younger forward line, with Affan Yousuf, Satbir Singh and Amir Khan all aged between 21 and 23, and Satbir the only one among them with more than 30 caps. Amir is a natural player and has very strong basics -- trapping and passing, reach, scoring -- and he is as good as any of the forwards who are playing for India regularly, said Baskaran. India doesnt get to play teams like New Zealand and Australia regularly, and he must be given more chances to stay on the pitch for longer against them.Womens team also begins campaignThe womens team will play the first of three Test matches against the hosts in Melbourne on November 23.Baskaran commended the Indian women for winning the Asian Champions Trophy, but highlighted the need for them to improve on physical fitness going into their three Tests against Australia. They must make sure they play better in the last 10 minutes. Overall, this is a chance to imbibe some great learning for them, said Baskaran. They did very well to qualify for the Olympics, and then to have beaten China during the Asian Champions Trophy was a massive boost to their confidence.Womens head coach Neil Hawgood will be with the team for the final time on this tour. His replacement is yet to be announced by Hockey India. 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ATLANTA -- U.S. captain Davis Love III referred to his Ryder Cup team as the best golf team maybe ever assembled, a surprising comment for two reasons.This was Davis Love, not exactly known for his brash comments.And the U.S. team isnt even assembled yet.Two days before Love makes his final captains pick, and a week before the Ryder Cup begins at Hazeltine, Love was on SiriusXMs Fairways of Life show on Friday and asked whether the Americans have tried too hard.He said they tend to panic after a bad round or lose momentum and are guilty at times of playing not to lose.You need to stand up there and smash it down the middle and take off walking and let the other team know, `We are going to dominate you, Love said.Its all about instilling confidence in the U.S. team, believing it has the better squad. Love noted the Americans dont have to do anything super human. And then he finished his thought with words sure to cross the Atlantic.Were a great golf team, he said. This is the best golf team maybe ever assembled.And just like that, Love put himself in the company of other captains making bold comments.All but one backfired.The Americans had won 11 of 12 times in the Ryder Cup when the matches were played in 1967 at Champions Golf Club in Houston, with the great Ben Hogan as the captain. The opposing captain Dai Rees gave lengthy introductions at the pre-tournament dinner to the Great Britain & Ireland squad before taking his seat.Hogan asked that applause be held until he was finished.Players stood as Hogan called their name, and he said, Ladies and gentleman, the U.S. Ryder Cup team -- the finest golfers in the world.And he sat down.GB&I was no match for the Americans in those days, and it showed. Arnold Palmer and Gardner Dickinson won all five matches in a 23 +-8 + victory.The Americans had lost two straight Ryder Cups when Raymond Floyd took over as captain in 1989 at The Belfry and summoned his inner Hogan. At the gala ball that week, Floyd introduced his team as the 12 greatest players in the world.This didnt exactly strike fear into Europe. Nick Faldo supposedly turned to Seve Ballesteros and said, I guess that makes you No. 13.Europe built a 5-3 lead after the opening day, kept a two-point margin going into singles and the Ryder Cup ended in a draw, which effectively was another victory for Europe because it retained the cup.Not to be forgotten is Hal Sutton, captain of the 2004 team at Oakland Hills.Sutton gave ggolf what it wanted -- Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson as partners -- which sounded great on paper.ddddddddddddThis might be the greatest team in U.S. history, Sutton said after announcing they would be in the opening match. Why was it so alluring? Theyre two of the greatest players in American history. They might shoot 58 tomorrow -- if they make it that far.They had a better-ball score of 61, which might have been really special if Woods and Mickelson had made it to the 18th hole. Instead, Colin Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington beat them on the 17th, and then Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood beat the not-so-dynamic duo in foursomes that afternoon.Oh, well. It sounded good.How will Loves comments come across?Bravado is not part of Loves personality. He sounded as though he was reminding his team how good they are -- more cheerleader than field general.Words are words, however, and they elicited a quick response.Westwood tweeted a link to the comments and said, No pressure there then lads.Rory McIlroy told Golfweek magazine, Of course were going to have fun with that. Yeah, and thats going to give us motivation. Of course, it gives us motivation if they think theyre the best U.S. team ever.Of course, it isnt.Five of the Americans on the team havent won this year. Only five of them have ever won a major.Floyd didnt have the greatest 12 players in the world, but they were pretty close: Curtis Strange, Tom Kite, Fred Couples, Paul Azinger, Mark Calcavecchia, Tom Watson, Lanny Wadkins, Mark OMeara and Payne Stewart played that year. All won majors. Seven are in the Hall of Fame.But the greatest team is considered to be in 1981 at Walton Heath: Jack Nicklaus, Watson, Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller, Hale Irwin, Floyd, Kite, Ben Crenshaw, Larry Nelson, Jerry Pate, Bill Rogers all were or became major champions.Asked on Saturday if this U.S. team could match his 1981 team, Miller smiled and said, No. This is not at that level.Hes just saying that, like a boxing match. Youre throwing stuff out, Miller said of Love. Normally, you dont say that. Somebody must have said, `Ill bet you 100 bucks you wouldnt say that. Something like that. Its all part of the tat-a-tat.Miller still thinks this is a good U.S. team.But the ultimate measure starts with winning the Ryder Cup. The Americans havent done that in a while. ' ' '