BENGALURU: It was a case of so near, yet so far for Salima Tete & her colleagues. Up against China in their first match of the World Cup on Sunday, the Indian team gave it as good as they got before pocketing a point. It could have been all three if they had held their nerve, but the 2-2 draw could have a positive impact.
If nothing else, it will have shown the Indian team that they can go toe-to-toe with the reigning Olympic silver medallists. It's why matches like these are important in the early development cycle for teams. The last few times these two sides had faced each other, China had walked all over India. In the final of the Asia Cup, it was 4-1. If you want to stretch the aggregate score to the last four meetings, 14-4.
With a point on the board, India can now have legitimate designs on advancing to the next group phase of the competition, considering China were the best team in Pool D. Before they face England, another superior opponent in terms of ranking in the final match on Thursday, they know they have to get maximum points against South Africa on Tuesday.
Win that, and the short-term possibilities become endless. If recent history is anything to go by, the women's team begin as prohibitive favourites. India have enjoyed several dominating wins over Tuesday's opponents. During a Test series in South Africa in 2023, they beat them 3-0 in the four-match series, including a big 7-0 win. They are more skilful and have multiple routes to goal when compared to the Africans."The resilience of the team was good," coach Sjoerd Marijne told in the mixed zone after the game. "Good learning for us for the next matches. It was a very nice contest."
The learning the Dutchman will hope to see, starting against South Africa, is for the team to not have a third quarter like the one they had on Sunday. China came out firing on all cylinders, made the pitch small, created a lot of chances and India were struggling to live with them for a period of time. But it's to India's credit that they fought back. It's given them something to cling on to. "I think it's (the one point) a very important thing for this tournament," Marijne added. "If you are losing this match, you know you need to win the next two (to advance)."
If India can win that, it will put them in a good position ahead of the last round of games. If they do get into the next stage of the competition, it can turbo-charge this development cycle of the side. A lot has been made about how this side has a lot of experience but it should also be said that there are a number of first-timers, some as young as 18. Playing in the pointy end of an event like this will accelerate that growth stage and set them up for future events, beginning with the Asian Games later this year where China will be the team to beat.
For the time being, though, the Dutchman doesn't want to look that far ahead. "What I told the girls is 'don't take them (South Africa) lightly,'" he said. "They are a good team and they are only getting better."
The overall messaging, though, remained consistent ever since he got on board. "We will focus on ourselves."
