TOKYO: If Sunday began with a string of disappointing defeats and a heart-ache for Team India, it finished with the mother of all losses.
The scoreboard isn’t usually a reliable witness but the one that said ‘Australia 7-1 India’ at the Oi Hockey Stadium in Tokyo reflected an unflattering truth. India, hoping to win their first hockey medal of any colour since the 1980 Olympics, were outpassed, outclassed and, ultimately, embarrassed by a superior outfit.
The Kookaburras, fresh from a nervy 5-3 win over Japan, were faster, hungrier and stronger. They are now in command of Pool A, with six points from two games.
So what went wrong for the side that had, at least recently, cut out their tendency to lose matches in this fashion? Nothing did. At least from the 15-minute mark anyway.
Trailing 0-1, India had the opportunity to draw level from a penalty corner. And the resultant dead ball situation almost found the bottom corner but for an on-the-line clearance from an Australian stick.
Till then, the Men In Blue managed to fashion the odd chance but fluffed their lines: a cardinal sin when you are facing a team like Australia.
Just as the hooter went to signal the end of the first quarter, Australia flicked their switch.
There are few sights more thrilling to watch in world sport than wave after wave of stick-wielding green and gold players running at the opposition team and the second quarter showed why.
India didn’t know what hit them as the Australian players ran rings around them and treated the Indian players, and the watching fans, to an exhibition of elite hockey.
They were mean, fast and menacing, you feared the worst as soon as Flynn Ogilvie scored the second in the 22nd minute. Seven minutes later, it was 4-0, game over, good night.
Three more goals — sandwiched by a close-range finish from Dilpreet Singh in the third quarter — was more proverbial nails being hammered into the Indian team’s soft underbelly.
At the end of the game, it was hard to not feel sorry for the Indians, it was like watching an elite predator enjoy a big fat dinner.
Could Manpreet Singh & Co have done something different? They could have defended better as a unit, taken their chances in the first quarter (in the end, they converted zero penalty corners from five).
Largely, they could have lost with a bit more dignity by shutting up shop. Goal difference could play a big part in the business end of the group stages.
However, for some perspective, this loss isn’t the end of the world. The World No 5 have beaten all of the Netherlands, Belgium and Argentina since the beginning of 2020.
They have generally been more solid under the stewardship of Graham Reid.
Saying that, considering the short turnaround time — their next match against Spain is on Tuesday — they need to mentally compartmentalise this experience and not let it be a psychological scar.
That’s where the Australian and the support staff have a role to play. If they don’t, this could turn very ugly very soon.
1976 This was India's heaviest defeat at the Olympics. Their previous one also came against Australia. A 6-1 scoreline in 1976 .
13 Australia have now scored 13 goals against India in their last three matches at the Olympics (2-2, 4-3, 7-1).