SKannan in Paris
Harmanpreet Singh is the star of Indian hockey. If this needed further affirmation, the energetic Indian pumped in two goals against Ireland in a Pool B match at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium on Tuesday.
Anything to do with the men’s hockey team and the Olympics is always about pulses racing, excitement and nail-biting moments. Memories from Monday’s match were still fresh, as India had drawn 1-1 with Argentina. Over the last fourdecades, the South American side has troubled India, after all.
That had to be forgotten, as taking on Ireland needed fresh energy. For carping critics, a 2-0 win against Ireland may still seem insufficient as the hunger from fans is for more goals. What stood out was that this Indian side, a mix of youth and experience, did not panic. Agreed, Ireland are not a tough side on paper, but at the Olympics, in a tough pool, nothing can be taken for granted. At least, one did not have to wait for anxious moments like in the first match against New Zealand, where India won by a narrow 3-2 margin.
Players who looked sharp today were Harmanpreet, Gurjant Singh and Mandeep Singh. There was a sense of urgency after opening up a lead, which was a smart decision. Overall, when one looks at the results of the Indians in comparison to the European tour before the Paris Olympics, there are a few areas which need to be bolstered.
Coach Craig Fulton, now in charge of the team for almost 11 months, did not look flustered either. He knows the next two matches against Belgium and Australia will be really tough. However, the Indian defence and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh handled the sparse counter-attacks and penalty corner efforts from the rivals well. Comparing this Olympic journey with the last one in Tokyo three years ago, one may be tempted to say this Indian side is not in the best form. That would be premature as the last two matches will be crucial. Any thoughts of finishing in the top two in the league phase are still up in the air.
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