For a few transient seconds, Delhi Waveriders’ goalkeeper Nicolas Jacobi would have felt the collective thrust of his piled-up teammates on his giant frame. But he could have cared less for a possible injury, for the sheer euphoria of the moment would have submerged every other apprehension.
As with most shootouts, the goalkeeper is either extolled or vilified. Follies are often exaggerated and even the mundane assumes heroic proportions. But the efficacy of Jacobi, who foiled the first three Waveriders’ attempts, can’t be overstated. And the men he deprived, barring young Satbir Singh, were no daft hands. Simon Child, whom he wonderfully strangled, is acknowledged for the Black Caps’ trek to the elite league of hockey. Mark Knowles, whom he marked like a distressed tigress, is an Aussie veteran of many battles, World-Cup winner and Hockeyroo legend.
To deny them is a task that requires not only technique and anticipation but also superior presence of mind and courage. For five minutes, the German was all these virtues unusually combined.
That said, he couldn’t have stamped his indelible class on the game but for Sardar Singh’s inspiring burst in the second quarter. Sardar’s hollow cheeks and prominent temple marked him out from his colleagues, but even more distinctive are the characteristics — the vision, angles, timing and accuracy of his passing—that made the team tick.
Among a generation bred in mediocrity, and content with it, he stands out, literally and figuratively, like a detectable twain connecting the halcyon then and the regrettable now of Indian hockey, tending unremittingly to the flailing causality that Indian hockey is.
In the gloomy reality of Indian hockey, his is a reassuring persona. Almost surreal. It’s his fate that his trophy cabinet isn’t as crammed as it should have been.
Hence, he might have been extra desperate to lift the trophy. Down a goal — after Mark Knowles put Punjab in front in the first minute — Delhi players were growing increasingly frustrated as the match wore to half-time. This is when Sardar imposed himself on the contest. First, he glided into the arc and served Lloyd Jones with a delectable tap. Lloyd duly obliged his skipper.
Then, just at the stroke of the hooter, Sardar rocketed in a penalty-corner variation from a tight angle. Jaap Stockman, the Delhi custodian, realised the move, but the sheer velocity of the shot was such that he was left clueless. Thus the contest that Punjab had dictated until then turned on its head. And playing catch-up is unusual to Punjab, the table-toppers of the knockout phase.
The break refreshed them and they returned energised and reclaimed their grip. They equalised through Shivendra Singh, who for most part of the league was a passer-by, before Affan Yousuf steered in a thunder cross from Knowles. But the defiant Waveriders restored parity through Yuvraj Walmiki. Another 18 minutes of stoic defending and the stage was paved way for Jacobi. And he stood tall on every count.