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Silver-medalists India got off to a near-perfect start by thrashing arch-rivals Pakistan 4-0 in the opening encounter of the Champions Trophy. The Indians were efficient and disciplined in the first half as they kept possession, played quick passes, kept the Pakistani strikers at bay, and managed to string together some good moves as well.
Comeback-man Ramandeep Singh opened the scoring for India, effectively repaying coach Harendra Singh for reaffirming his faith in the ace striker who was not picked for the team that played in the Commonwealth Games.
The forward-line may not have looked spectacular, but most importantly, they utilized the chances that came their way. A big positive also was the fact that four members of the forward-line scored one field goal apiece that augurs well for India's campaign as they await the top-four in the world.
After Ramandeep had given India the lead, Dilpreet, Mandeep, and Lalit (who was a last-minute replacement for Akashdeep) also displayed their goal-scoring prowess. Amit Rohidas, Harmanpreet, and Birendra Lakra were cool, calm, and collected in defense. Amit took a blow on his arm as he rushed forward bravely to block a drag flick at the end of the third quarter.
India will be up against Argentina, the second-ranked team in the world tomorrow. India has faced Argentina twice in the last seven months and one man has scored every single goal for the Olympic champions. As the rain pelted away in Bhubaneswar, Gonzalo Peillat broke Indian hearts by scoring the lone goal on a wet pitch last December in the semifinals of the HWL.
In the last meeting between the two teams in the Azlan Shah Cup earlier this year, a young Indian team fought valiantly before losing 2-3. Peillat, the master drag-flicker scored a PC hattrick in that match and India will be wary of the man who almost single-handedly won the Olympic gold for Argentina in 2016. He was the top scorer in Rio and also the top-scorer in the 2014 World Cup when Argentina won bronze.
The Indian defenders will have to time their tackles to perfection and also use their discretion to avoid tackles in the striking circle, and instead shadow the strikers using grounded sticks to avoid conceding PCs. India performed creditably in this department today, allowing Pakistan to earn just one PC despite numerous circle penetrations by Oltmans' boys.
Harendra Singh's team will definitely take heart from the fact that India was the only team that beat the eventual champions in Rio but will need to be even more disciplined than they were today, and a bit ruthless as well.
Here is how you can catch up with all the action.
Event: FIH Men's Champions Trophy
Venue: Breda, Holland
Date: 24 June 2018
Time: 3:30 pm Indian Standard Time (IST)
Telecast: Star Sports 1, Star Sports HD1
Live Streaming: Hotstar
