Hockey World Cup 2023: No quarter given and none taken

While the scoreline was surprising in the extreme -- a 0-0 -- it wasn’t for want of trying.
Nilakanta Sharma in action during India’s match against England at Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela on Sunday | DEBADATTA MALLICK
Nilakanta Sharma in action during India’s match against England at Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela on Sunday | DEBADATTA MALLICK

ROURKELA:  After two nights and nine largely jeopardy-free games, the World Cup had its first genuine highwire act at the Birsa Munda Stadium in Rourkela. To be fair, India and England, two of the most improved sides amongst the sport’s elite in the last Olympic cycle, were always likely to throw up a high-grade encounter. And so it proved in an affair where millimetres and fractions of a second assumed primary importance.

While the scoreline was surprising in the extreme -- a 0-0 (the last three encounters between the two coming into Sunday had seen 21) -- it wasn’t for want of trying. Coach Graham Reid said ‘both sides had opportunities’ and that was true. While England will be slightly unhappy with a draw -- they beat India on penalty corners as well had an effort that clipped the woodwork with seconds remaining on the clock -- India will see it as a well-earned point, especially considering they had a below-par opening 15 minutes. 

The point also means they keep themselves in the conversation for topping Pool D. That point was almost snatched away from them with less than five seconds to go. Visiting striker Nick Bandurack found the woodwork and they believed they had engineered another penalty corner -- a ninth of their game -- but the hooter had just sounded. Some of their players sat on the ground, clearly disappointed at not winning after creating eight penalty corners and some clear-cut chances from open play. 

India’s disappointment was more subtle perhaps because their final match against Wales is the easier looking fixture on paper (England play Spain who eased past Wales in the earlier fixture on Sunday). The hosts will also look back and be proud of the work they put in when defending penalty corners. Manpreet Singh was outstanding as the first-rusher.

Some two hours before Manpreet formed a one-man moving wall, the excitement was palpable. A capacity crowd was heaving by the time the anthems were done. One could sense the tension in the air as England pushed back. India started slowly and the visitors didn’t need another invitation to take the attack. They played a couple of line-breaking passes, enjoyed the quicker transitions and the end result was they created as many five penalty corners (India had one in the opening stanza). It just wasn’t  working for the hosts; passes were being overhit, a few mistraps when under no pressure. “The connection was missing in the first 15 minutes,” Reid opined.

In the second quarter, Reid’s charges grew into the match. They finally got a foothold in midfield and kept hold of the ball for longer periods. Some quick interchange and passing also enabled them to push up the pitch. England still looked fluid whenever they got possession but India were winning the ground they had ceded. Part of the problem in the opening 15 minutes was India’s receiving. After they had course-corrected, the overall aspect of their build-up play had improved markedly. But that improvement did not markedly lead to shots on goal from open play. They had managed to win a few penalty corners in the second batch of 15 minutes but Harmanpreet Singh’s accuracy was off the mark.

Then, Sam Ward, who had promised to bring a ‘Baz Ball’-inspired style to the way they play, had the game’s biggest chance but fluffed his lines. He was eyeball-to-eyeball with PR Sreejesh with not a defender in sight but the custodian dragged him away from the goal and Ward fired wide from a narrow angle after receiving it in a centre area. Meanwhile, Hardik Singh, who was running the Indian midfield like a head chef running a pass at a restaurant, came into his own with an all-action performance. That was before he went down with two minutes to go. He had picked up a hamstring injury but it ‘didn’t look quite as bad as it looked’, was the update Reid had for the media after the match.

Just before the end of the third quarter, India had the ball in the net but it was ruled to be by unfair means. In the fourth, India dominated the play with more than 65% possession. They also had very presentable chances but custodian Oliver Payne was equal to the task. Payne was ultimately named man of the match for the saves.

From an Indian perspective, the two clean sheets to begin the World Cup is the tonic they needed after conceding a lot of goals post the Olympics. This 0-0 is also remarkable considering it was their first at this level since the one against West Germany in 1973.

Spain thrash Wales 5-1
Marc Reyna and Marc Miralles struck a brace each as Spain outplayed Wales 5-1 in a Pool D match to register their first win in the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup on Sunday. Reyna sounded the board in the 16th and 38th minutes from field efforts, while Miralles scored in the 32nd and 56th minutes. Skipper Alvaro Iglesias (22nd) was the other goal-getter for the winners. Wales’ lone goal was scored by James Carson in the 52nd minute. Spain recorded their first win in the tournament, while it was Wales’ second loss on the trot. Spain had earlier lost 0-2 to hosts India in their tournament opener, while Wales were defeated 0-5 by England.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com