Three games. three losses. Scored two goals and 11 conceded.
If you are a fan of the Indian women's team, or the team at the Tokyo Olympics, the statistics are not great. However, the good news is that our pre-tournament prediction of knockout stage progression is still possible in principle. Wins in their last two matches against Ireland and South Africa should be enough. Even a win and a draw may suffice, provided the other outcomes are favorable to them.
However, what are they doing wrong? And what are the forces they can work on going forward?
For more than half the time, India equaled it with the Netherlands. Against Germany, he was dominant for the period around the middle stage, when he earned a penalty stroke, which Gurjit Kaur failed to convert.
India tightened the noose during the second and third quarters against champions Great Britain on Wednesday. Despite being accepted in the second minute itself, aggressive overloads started coming in. Rani Rampal and Vandana Kataria worked the middle of the pitch, and Sharmila Devi's pace kept the British defenders on their toes, as India made more openings during this period. Sharmila found a goal to bring the score back to 2-1, and when Great Britain sent striker Lily Owsley into Sinn Bin for five minutes, India insisted on looking for an equalizer.
The umpire showed Salima Tete the yellow card for a foul, far lighter than Great Britain captain Holly Pierne-Webb, who pulled up her Indian counterpart Rani and got away with it - the scales in favor of the champions. to tilt.
India needs that intensity to last for a long time, not just in pieces. His start in the Netherlands game, minus a soft goal conceded early, was perfect. He held his shape well, and coped with speed and intelligence when given the slightest amount of space. They need more than that in the four quarters against Ireland.
Salima was not the only Indian player who noticed the yellow colour. There were some very clumsy challenges everywhere.
Experienced Navjot Kaur disappointed her team in a big way at the start of the fourth quarter, with India chasing two goals to snatch a point. Salima's suspension was barely over when Navjot side-barred an opponent and locked himself in for the next five minutes. Deep Grace Ekka and Gurjit Kaur also had some formidable challenges inside the Indian 25-yard line.
There's a lesson in what they might have seen about Dutch, German and British defenders and their methods - stay next to or ahead of the attacker and watch the ball play only when you know the percentage is in your favor. Otherwise, it's best to keep pushing them away from your target.
Sharmila and Lalremsiami are two talented attackers, both blessed with speed, strength and natural technical ability. However, sometimes they appear eager to go for glory inside the opposition circle.
A little before her goal against Great Britain, Sharmila was fed a brilliant ball from Rani down the left channel. There was a defender ahead of her, and backing up her pace, the Indian teenager pressed on and entered the circle. However, the prudent decision was then to seek the Penalty Corner (PC) to find his marker's feet. Instead, she tried to pull and shoot the ball wide, and ended up hitting too far of the target.
"It was our worst match. We always try to play one six (out of 10) for each person, and I don't think everyone plays for a six today. Bad decisions, bad choices and I'm out of it." Very disappointed with it," Dutch coach Sjoerd Marin told PTI after the loss to Great Britain.
"The goal was too early, but the individual performance just wasn't good enough. I can analyze what went wrong, but it starts with each person reaching their level and it didn't happen today."
India needs to maximize its circle penetration. Go for shots only when the odds are in your favour. Otherwise, the PCs try to win, as Navneet Kaur first demonstrated that they had meaningful authority. And the result was India's target.
Goalkeeper Savita Punia, one of India's mainstays, is looking to step up her game. He has made some saves, but also conceded a few soft goals every game. Against the Netherlands, she was beaten to her near post late in the game, while against Germany she was partly to blame for both goals, failed to reach a drag-flick low to her left, and was then played. From his left side mistaking the angle of the slap.
On Wednesday, Hannah Martin's second goal went into the goal from her left heel, a sign that she was not able to sort her footwork when the attacker was winding down for a shot. She still made some great saves in the second half, a testament to how good she is.
She can do better. India can. However time is running out. India will have to put up a fine, flawless performance against Ireland on Friday.