did India possess the aptitude to advance in the competition? particularly considering that they might have had to compete against nations like Belgium and the Netherlands in the process.
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India’s poor performances versus New Zealand in the Men’s Hockey World Cup persisted. Graham Reid’s soldiers were not spared by The Black Sticks. India’s hopes of advancing to the quarterfinals were crushed by the Kiwis, who defeated India 5-4 in the subsequent penalty shootout after holding Harmanpreet Singh and Co. to a tie during regulation time. India’s bid for a Hockey World Cup crown was therefore halted by the crossover loss to Greg Nichol’s team. But did India possess the aptitude to advance in the competition? particularly considering that they might have had to compete against nations like Belgium and the Netherlands in the process.
India entered the competition as one of the favourites to finish on the podium in the World Cup. The sixth-ranked squad in the world has a tonne of players with resumes that, on their best days, can cause hockey’s top stars to second-guess themselves. Some of the greatest in the business include the captain Harmanpreet Singh, first-rusher Amit Rohidas, midfielder Hardik Singh, goalkeepers Krishna Bahadur Pathak and PR Sreejesh, and striker Mandeep Singh. But rather than working as a unit, the team appeared to rely too much on these individuals’ brilliance. Performances lost their motivating quality when the particular moments of brilliance did not materialise. Hardik Singh served as the team’s offensive catalyst. In the first quarter, when England dominated the Indian midfield, he rallied the team.
With the Indian No. 8 on the field, the squad was motivated to keep the ball and played much better in transition. Hardik Singh wasn’t on the field, though, when New Zealand repeated the same play as England in the crossover. In the ensuing 17 minutes of regulation time, Graham Reid’s team was outplayed and kept off the ball by New Zealand, resulting in two goals conceded and the loss of the 3-1 lead. Undoubtedly, one of the top first-rushers in hockey is Amit Rohidas. Manpreet Singh is also not all that horrible. However, New Zealand only used the two penalty corners they themselves earned during the game to score twice.
The only time India appeared assured and in control for the entire 60 minutes was in the match against the Spaniards. England routinely put the Indian defence and midfield to the test. The champions of Pool D even had many opportunities to score. The tempo was regulated by Zach Wallace’s squad during certain stages. India struggled the entire time and might have fallen behind on a different day. It wasn’t easy to win the match against Wales either. Spain also scored five goals past them, and England defeated them 5-0. India only had four players, and the score was 4-2. Not the best boast from a candidate for a crown.
