After their 2-0 win over Ireland, when Harmanpreet Singh and PR Sreejesh came into the mixed zone, the first thing that hit was how red their faces had got. A heatwave that is hitting Paris and much of France led to tennis players at Roland Garros being given extra breaks during the match. A fan who attended the hockey match at Yves-du-Manoir Stadium said the heat was “completely crazy for spectators, can only imagine what it was for the players.” An official from the sidelines said electronic devices were heating up in their working area.
It wasn’t just the literal heat that the Indian men’s hockey team had to beat, but also the metaphoric kind from Ireland who put Harmanpreet’s men under immense pressure in the second half of their Pool B match. But, unlike their last two matches, India had got off on the front foot, thanks to two more set-piece goals from Harmanpreet (11’, 19’), but then had to hold on against an Irish onslaught in the last two quarters.
“Due to the heat, we knew it was advantageous for us to maintain ball possession and tire out the other team. But in some areas, we tried to force matters, and our passes got intercepted. Ireland troubled us because they are a capable team,” an exhausted Harmanpreet told JioCinema after the match. against Belgium and Australia, India’s next two opponents, inviting pressure to this extent won’t be ideal, he added.
With Ireland in a must-win position, India started the match well against a side that is usually hard to break down but was unusually leaving spaces open. It was a scrappy start with plenty of referee whistles in the opening exchanges. One of the remarks heard on the broadcast before pushback was an Indian player saying in the huddle, “ek chance aayega early., ek chance pucca aayega”.
An early chance was on the cards and it was Gurjant Singh who cut out a short pass in midfield with a fine interception, dribbled ahead and released Mandeep Singh. The forward controlled the ball in his stride expertly and won a penalty stroke as he was bundled over by a defender. Harmanpreet wasn’t going to miss.
Doubling the advantage
After penalty corner conversion worries against Argentina, Harmanpreet managed to power one through early this time as the brute force of his drag-flick, combined with a wicked deflection, gave India a 2-0 lead heading into halftime.
By a combination of the heat and Irish desperation, India withdrew more and more into a shell. It led to Ireland earning as many as 10 penalty corners in the second half alone. Manpreet Singh got bruised badly as he rushed out to save one, Amit Rohidas was being Amit Rohidas in first-rushes, Sanjay and Harmanpreet put in the tackles, and significantly, PR Sreejesh was back to his best. A combination of these defensive efforts ensured India somehow managed to keep a clean sheet.
But the immediate concern after that match is could India afford to be that generous against the powerhouses they are facing next?
“This is a learning experience for us because the next matches will be tougher. We don’t know how the weather will be, but it is a learning that in situations like these, the more you keep ball possession and stay calm, the better it is. We need to keep in mind that no matter how much we are missing at the front, if the team defends strong, it is always beneficial. This was a good lesson for us today because we shouldn’t have given away so many penalty corners,” Harmanpreet admitted after the match.
That India are still reliant on Harmanpreet for set-piece goals is a concern that is rearing up again. India have done just enough in these opening three matches, but there have been a fair few wake-up calls to heed to before their blockbuster tests.