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Hosts India started their 2023 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup campaign on a very positive note by defeating Spain 2-0 at the Birsa Munda Stadium in Rourkela, Odisha, on 13 January. The Indian team put up an impressive performance collectively. While the forward line showed great enterprise and drive, the defense stood tall with great tackling.
The Spanish side didn’t put up the best fight, but the Indian team, which had indifferent form going into the Hockey World Cup, rose to the occasion. Though their captain Harmanpreet Singh had a bad day at the office, not converting any of his penalty corner opportunities and missing a penalty stroke as well, the team didn’t suffer much from it.
Spain were off the blocks in no time and had a golden opportunity with a shot at goal in the opening seconds. P Sreejesh was beaten but the defender behind him managed to deflect the ball away from the goal line.
After this, it was all India in the first quarter as they kept attacking the Spanish goal with waves of moves into the circle. Akashdeep Singh and Mandeep Singh both played a very proactive role and created trouble for their opponents.
Local boy Amit Rohidas steps up to put India ahead
After many attempts at scoring, India managed to earn a penalty corner in the 12th minute. This set the stage for their captain Harmanpreet Singh to unleash his mighty drag-flick. However, the home team decided to trick their opponents by instead using a variation. Jarmanpreet Singh took a direct hit at the goal but it went wide.
However, the Indians were on a roll and soon earned another PC. This time, Harmanpreet did take the shot with his drag-flick, but it was stopped. However, the rebound came towards Odisha’s own Amit Rohidas and he smacked the ball ferociously into the goal to give his team the lead in the 13th minute.
Rohidas was back on the centerstage soon, with a cheeky back pass that earned a PC for his team. But Harmanpreet again failed to convert.
Hardik Singh scores a stunning goal to increase India's lead
The second quarter saw Spain slowing down the pace of the game and holding on to the possession longer. They managed to earn a penalty corner but Krishan B Pathak, who replaced Sreejesh in the second quarter, made a good save.
Then, Hardik Singh showed his magical skills to score India’s second goal in the 26th minute. He brilliantly stole the ball from a Spanish player in their half and then made a brilliant run from the left-hand side into the circle.
After running for more than 40 yards, he tried to give a cross to Lalit Kumar Upadhyay at the far post. However, the ball deflected off the Spanish defender and went into the goal, giving Hardik a place on the scorecard.
After the half-time break, Spain were expected to come back strong. But it was India who wrested full control of the game in the third quarter and played almost the entire period at a high press.
In the third minute of the second half, a brilliant steal from Akashdeep around the Spanish 23-meter line gave him a clear shot at goal. A Spanish player fouled him in the process of taking the hit and India earned a penalty stroke.
Harmanpreet stepped up to the mark but his shot was well intercepted by the goalkeeper who moved to his right to block the shot. Despite this missed opportunity, India kept up the pressure on Spain for the entire third quarter.
India weather storm in final quarter
With a 2-0 lead in hand, India decided to focus on defense in the last 15 minutes. They suffered a big jolt when their forward Abhishek was given a yellow card in the 48th minute in what was a very questionable decision. What’s worse, the Indian striker was given a 10-minute suspension.
These 10 minutes were very tense for India as they fell back on defense and tried to weather the aggressive moves of the Spanish team.
What rescued India was the brilliant work of their defenders who excelled in stealing the ball in one-on-one contests and also intercepted crash balls from outside the circle. Also, rather than just sitting back, the Indian team also managed to move into attacking mode from time to time, to keep the Spanish team from going all out in their quest for a goal.
Spain did manage a penalty corner in the third quarter but Krishan Pathak managed to pull off another good save. India too had a great chance to score when a brilliant build-up from the midfield led to a brilliant cross that Shamsher Singh failed to deflect in at the far post. Still, it was enough for the Indian team to romp home to a comfortable win and start their tournament on a good note.
