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South Africa's stunning opening-minute goal against the Red Lions and Belgium's inability to find the back of the net for the sixth time meant that the Indians needed an outright win over Canada without having to worry about the margin of victory to top the pool and earn a direct ticket to the quarterfinals of the Hockey World Cup.
Yet, there was a job to be done against a side whom the Indians have struggled with in recent times, and it was imperative that every member of the team did his bit amidst the deafening roars that emanated from the stands of the Kalinga Stadium.
Rarely has one witnessed a similar atmosphere for a hockey match and both teams had to hold their nerve as every touch of the ball by the Indians was acknowledged with the kind of cheers that usually follow a spectacular goalbound effort.
Ahead of the all-important quarterfinals on Thursday, we take a look at the key factors that influenced the final outcome of the match, and the reasons why this Indian unit is outperforming the opposition and playing the kind of hockey which their predecessors never quite managed to do.
#3 Ability to regain the momentum when it matters the most
For the second time in the competition, the Indians failed to follow up the good work of the first quarter in the second and failed to find the back of the net in the third. Harmanpreet's opening goal in the 12th minute which gave India the lead was cancelled out by Floris van Son in the 39th minute.
Canada's equalizer silenced the Odisha crowd much like Loick Luypaert's opening goal did in the match against Belgium.
While it is not a simple task to play each quarter with the same level of consistency and intensity against a quality side who also approach every period of the match differently, getting back into the contest when the chips are down is the hallmark of a champion side.
Manpreet and co. came out and played the final quarter as if their lives depended on it and it was Canada's turn to be stunned by the sudden tenacity of the Indian attack.
The usually staid Chinglensana resembled a man possessed as he fired in the second goal which opened the floodgates for the Indians.
The hosts not only regained the initiative but delivered the knockout punch with aplomb as Lalit Upadhyay and Amit Rohidas added their names to the scoresheet and ensured that there would be no last-minute hiccups.
#2 Harmanpreet plays a stellar role yet again
A tournament as long as the World Cup can indeed be taxing, and different players do need to step up and deliver more than what is expected from them to offset either a possible illness or bad form of a colleague on the day.
A few individuals in the Indian team, however, have raised their standards to such an extent that they almost never seem to be afflicted by the phenomenon of the so-called "bad day."
For as long as one can remember, India's most consistent drag-flicker has also been their most prolific match-winner but as time passes, Harmanpreet Singh seems to be shouldering newer roles and responsibilities with every passing day.
The stocky drag-flicker gave his team the vital opening goal which calmed the nerves of the Indian camp on the sidelines and gave his teammates the freedom to go about their business as they had been instructed to.
As cool as a cucumber, Harmanpreet tackled and mopped up in his own circle, played the role of a link-man when he advanced forward, and also made some vital interceptions in midfield.
What's more, the 22-year-old defender even managed to get a shot on target and was often seen hovering in around the Canadian 23-meter line making life difficult for Paul Bundy's defence.
Quite remarkably, Harmanpreet managed to connect thirty-nine passes to his colleagues, after having spent forty minutes on the pitch and his contribution to the Indian team can hardly be overemphasized.
#3 Did Harendra's words fire up the Indians in the break?
In the match against Belgium, the Indians came back from the long breather and played as if they had indeed undergone a sudden transformation. The same bunch of players who were at sea against the Olympic silver-medalists in the first half, made their opponents look pretty ordinary in the second.
It could not have been a coincidence then that the Indians who were struggling to find their footing against the Canadians midway through the match, made short work of their rivals with two goals in two minutes at the start of the fourth quarter.
Experts are of the firm opinion that Harendra's words spurred the Indians on and got them to re-enter the pitch with all guns blazing.
While the magic words of an inspiring coach may well have got the Indians to the quarterfinal stage, the real test now begins as Harendra Singh himself pointed out after the match.
"A four-nation tournament has finished. The World Cup starts now."
A nation waits with bated breath as the Indians inch closer to a historic finish.
Head to Sportskeeda to check out the schedule for the upcoming matches.
