That's it from us here, this is Subhashish signing off - do not forget to tune in tomorrow when the Golden Girls play Japan in the Women's Final at 1830 IST. Goodbye
THE LONG LIST OF LOST SHOOTOUTS CONTINUES - CHAMPIONS TROPHY, LONDON 2016 AGAINST AUSTRALIA, CHAMPIONS TROPHY, BREDA, 2018 AGAINST AUSTRALIA, ASIAN GAMES SEMI-FINALS AGAINST MALAYSIA - IS IT JUST BAD LUCK - OR CAN SHOOUTOUTS BE PRACTISED AND PERFECTED?
THE MALAYSIANS MATCHED THE INDIANS IN EVERY DEPARTMENT TODAY - THE STRIKERS LOOKED DANGEROUS UP FRONT - THE DEFENDERS PLAYED DOUBLE TEAM AND WERE SOLID AS EVER - THE INDIANS WERE TESTED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE TOURNAMENT - AND WERE NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!
THE STATS FOR YOU - BOTH TEAMS HAD 9 SHOTS ON GOAL - THE INDIANS HAD 2 FROM OPEN PLAY AND THE MALAYSIANS HAD 1- BOTH SIDES EARNED 7 PCs - THE INDIANS CONVERTED TWO (HARMANPREET AND VARUN) AND THE MALAYSIANS CONVERTED ONE IN THE 59TH MINUTE THROUGH THE EXPERIENCED RAHIM RAZIE!!!
EIGHT YEARS BACK, HARENDRA SINGH'S SIDE LOST TO THE MALAYSIANS IN GOLDEN GOAL EXTRA TIME - YET AGAIN, THE GUANGZHOU MEMORIES COME TRAGICALLY ALIVE - BACK THEN, THE MALAYSIANS HAD EQUALIZED WITH THREE MINUTES LEFT ON THE CLOCK (IN A 70-MIN MATCH) - TODAY, THE INDIANS HAD A 2-1 LEAD UNTIL THE 59TH MINUTE - BUT RAZIE HAS DONE IT BEFORE FOR THE MALAYSIANS - AND DID IT AGAIN TODAY!!
HARENDRA'S BOYS SCORED 76 GOALS IN 5 MATCHES - BROKE MANY A RECORD ON THE WAY - BUT ON THE DAY WHEN IT MATTERED - WHEN THEY WERE REALLY TESTED - FAILED TO COME UP WITH A WINNING PERFORMANCE
HARMANPREET GAVE INDIA THE LEAD WITH A PC - FITRI SAARI EQUALIZED - VARUN GAVE INDIA THE LEAD OFF A PC - RAZIE RAHIM EQUALIZED OFF A PC WITH TWO MINUTES LEFT ON THE CLOCK