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It was a day to celebrate for India at Olympics 2021. India's men's hockey team defeated Great Britain 3-1 to advance to the semi-finals of the Tokyo Olympics. This will be India's first semi-final appearance since the 1972 Games in Munich.
India, who finished second in Pool A, were pitted against Pool B's third-placed team Great Britain in what was expected to be a mouth-watering encounter. Great Britain had been in good form during the pool matches and had held teams like Belgium and the Netherlands to draws.
Check Out: Tokyo Olympics Hockey Schedule
India started the match with their most trusted XI and were off to the best possible start. They drew first blood in the first quarter from Dilpreet's side. Despite Great Britain controlling possession, India never let them create any major opportunities. India registered another goal in the 2nd quarter when a high-press strategy won them possession deep inside Britain's half.
The 2-0 lead was maintained effectively with outstanding defending and a world-class keeping display by Sreejesh. Despite India's defense faltering at the end of the 3rd quarter, India dug deep and managed to survive it a one-goal lead. The effort paid dividends for India in the 4th quarter when they managed to score on a counter-attack and seal the win for themselves.
Hockey is a team sport and the entire Indian team showed up on the pitch today. All members of the squad contributed to the win and got their country through to the semi-finals. Here are the player ratings from India's quarter-final against Great Britain.
PR Sreejesh - 10/10
The English dictionary will fall short of words and superlatives to describe the importance of Sreejesh for India. The Indian custodian was yet again the man of the match and produced save after save to win the match for India.
Rupinder Pal Singh - 8/10
India were good in defense for a major part of the game. Rupinder Pal had a role to play in that. He cleared balls, intercepted passes and stood like a wall in defense. He did concede a penalty corner but India managed to see off that threat.
Harmanpreet Singh - 8/10
We've grown used to seeing Harman excel game-in, game-out. He was dependable in defense and helped with the attack. His quick release pass to Hardik helped India seal the game with the third goal.
Amit Rohidas - 8/10
Rohidas was the front runner while defending against penalty corners and his charge put Britain's drag flickers off their marks. He also cleared some key passes that could have led to serious threats for India.
Surendar Kumar - 8/10
Surender completed the defensive quartet for India today and was superb in today's game. He did not give an inch to the British attackers inside his shooting circles and came up with clutch interceptions and blocks.
Manpreet Singh - 7/10
The usual, dependable performance by the skipper. He did concede a penalty corner in the dying minutes of the match, and also received a yellow card, but apart from that lapse he did well.
Hardik Singh - 10/10
The second player who won India the game today. He had a goal and an assist to show for his efforts today. He pressed up high, creating pressure on the British players, and he helped out with defense. His burst of speed in the 57th minute led to him scoring a goal and sealing the game for India.
Nilakanta Sharma - 7/10
Nilakanta was good on the ball and made crucial passes during the game. He could have contributed a bit more in the opponent's penalty circle but thankfully India's attack covered up for that.
Sumit - 7/10
Sumit is one of those players who always does the basics right. He did make a small error in judgment and conceded a penalty corner with a stick check but otherwise he had a good game.
Dilpreet Singh - 8/10
Dilpreet opened the scoring for India in the 7th minute with a clean finish. With this goal he continued his good form in the tournament.
Mandeep Singh - 8/10
You feel bad for Mandeep on occasions. He plays a major part in every attack that India builds yet fails to make it onto the scoresheet. Today, he was instrumental in implementing India's press. The strategy won the Indians the ball in Great Britain's half on multiple occasions and led to two goals for India.
Simranjeet Singh - 8/10
The forward continued his sensational run in the tournament. He provided the delivery to Dilpreet that led to India's opening goal.
Gurjant Singh - 8/10
Gurjant is a powerful substitute option for India and has proved pivotal in the last three encounters. He offers pace and the ability to run in behind and is a threat to any defense. He contributed with a goal today.
India in the semis at the Olympics 2021
India have finally managed to make it to the last four of the Olympics after 49 years. They are now closing in on that elusive medal. India now face the mighty Belgians in the semi-final on Tuesday, 3rd August. Belgium finished on top in Pool A, are undefeated in the tournament and have scored the highest number of goals in the tournament.
India will be aware that beating Belgium is not going to be a stroll in the park. The Asian nation, chasing their first Olympic medal since 1980, will have to put up their best performance till now to get the better of Belgium. Will they be able to manage that? Only time will tell.
Also read - India at Olympics 2021
