It has been a tiring afternoon for India at the Oi Hockey Stadium. Their winning streak against 2018 World Cup runners-up Ireland began after an hour-long delay due to heavy rain, and the game didn't quite go as planned.
India have played almost the entire match on the front foot but haven't seen the results. She scored 14 penalty corners (PCs) in the first three quarters, but drag-flicker Gurjit Kaur was on the pitch for only five of them. Because of the way hockey works, with rolling replacements, if you depend almost entirely on a set-piece specialist, you're always in trouble. Coordinating the appearance of your drag-flickers when you've got the PCs is a tricky balance, especially when most of them are in constant clutches.
India has also missed a few field goal attempts. Ireland goalkeeper Ayesha McFerran has knocked out everything thrown at her when a rare through pass overtakes a loaded defense. India's circle entry is closing at 30. Coach Sjoerd Marin keeps urging his team to remain calm and give one final push.
It's late... It's too late in the game when Captain Rani Rampal gets a little space from the right. Angle is hard on the side of her forehand, so she lifts it to the left by pulling it across the body of her marker and whips up a low, searing backhand hit. She rests on the basics - slap the ball hard in the face of the goal and expect either the goalkeeper to play it high enough from his pad that a PC wins, or one of your teammates has the courage to attack And have presence of mind. distant post.
Fortunately, Navneet Kaur reads her captain's intention early, and squares off against McFerran, using the strength of her upper body to squeeze into a small corner between her marker and the keeper's right foot. for. The ball is moved at good speed, and Navneet, who had earlier hit a wide deflection to beat McPherran, will have to adjust his stick quickly to find the right touch.
It happens in a fraction of a second. To stick the ball, past the keeper, and down into the board behind the goalkeeper. India celebrates, but Ireland throws in a desperate referral hoping for a backstick from Navneet.
Super slow-motion replays reveal the genius of Navneet's thought prowess. She senses that the ball is going towards the backstick, and so simply moves her wrist forward enough that the only way the ball can go into the goal is away from her front, turned out to face the far post happened. Controlling the Tomahawk pass low to the floor and executing it under the most severe pressure is a work of art.
This team is not less than what it deserves. There is still one match to win against South Africa on Saturday to book their first knockout spot at the Olympics. But for a team that has spent nothing more than a combined month with families over the past 16, much of it has been spent at the Sports Authority of India campus in Bengaluru under Covid-induced restrictions - no less than the three points earned on Friday Would be than a medal in itself.