Prantik Mazumdar
It was a Harmanpreet show once again at the Stade Yves-du-Manoir as India’s men’s hockey team dished out a comprehensive 2-0 win against Ireland. Beyond the shades of their flags, there was hardly anything in common between the two sides, in terms of their approach and execution.
For us fans, who travelled across Paris through multiple train lines, it was pure joy and relief to be seated easily in our respective zones without much crowd hassles and one was pleased to see the Indian squad in line ready to sing the anthem.
The stadium had a larger share of Irish fans, who were loud, cheerful and excited in equal measure.
The Indian boys set the pace of the match right from the word go and were in absolute control of their passes and tackles.
Harmanpreet led from the back, astutely observant as ever and orchestrated the game plan. His lieutenants – Hardik, Mandeep, Manpreet, Manjeet, Sukhjeet, Abhishek, Gurjant and Lalit – rallied around him to attack and play an aggressive brand of hockey.
This was the perfect antidote for the hundreds of Indian fans who were battling a rather hot and sultry day in an open-air stadium to cheer the team.
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It was an all Harmanpreet show as the Indian hockey team triumphed 2-0 over Ireland. Next, they face the mighty Belgium.@pranmaz reviews the game.@ShrachiSports #Hockey #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/Khe8gej8d3
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) July 30, 2024
The excitement in the stadium was palpable the moment India was awarded a penalty stroke with four minutes remaining in the first quarter.
As expected, it was the skipper Harmanpreet who confidently walked up to take the shot and pummelled one into the right corner. Ireland’s David Harte couldn’t do much about it despite attempting to block it with his left foot.
While both teams had an equal share of possession, what set India apart was their shooting efficiency and attacking circle penetrations. The men in blue were aggressively accurate with their on-ground and aerial passes and were quicker to move across the turf.
Both sides had nearly an equal number of penalty corner opportunities but only India converted one of them, when once again Harmanpreet’s powerful aerial shot penetrated the Irish defensive line.
India’s defence was tested in the third quarter, but thanks to the coordinated play between Amit Rohidas, Sumit, Jarmanpreet and Sreejesh – veteran rockstar goalkeeper – the goal wasn’t breached.
Sreejesh gave it his all and defended with his mind, body and soul to save four penalty corners and a field-goal attempt. He once again showcased why he is one of the best goalkeepers the world of hockey has seen. His involvement was visible when the ball was in the other half too, as he was constantly cheering, encouraging and guiding the midfielders and attackers.
India have now beaten New Zealand and Ireland and held the Argentinians to a draw. It has very much been a Harmanpreet show till date, albeit with a lot of support from his men.
The team will look to win at least one of the two remaining Group B matches to end up in the top two positions that are likely to ensure an easier quarter-final route. To do so, they will need goal conversions from Abhishek, Gurjant, Sukhjeet, Hardik and Mandeep, just the way Rupinder, Gurjant and Hardik had supported Harmanpreet at the Tokyo Games.
Whilst the convincing 2-0 win quenched our parched hearts, the cherry on top was that the players engaged the fans through a patient victory lap, obliging selfie and autograph requests with a smile.
The kids, aunties and uncles who have travelled from afar, will remember this day in Paris for a long time and will be encouraged to come back to support the boys once again as they march ahead in the Paris 2024 Games.
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