Hockey World Cup 2018: India vs Canada - 3 reasons why India won the match

#2 Harmanpreet plays a stellar role yet again

Harmanpreet was visible on every corner of the pitch

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.