India’s men’s hockey team, buoyed by their historic victory over Australia in their final pool match, will face Great Britain in the quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics on Sunday. The Indians, who finished second in Pool B behind Belgium, will be looking to continue their momentum and secure a berth in the semifinals.
India’s performance against Australia was a testament to their growing confidence and tactical prowess. The midfield, led by Manpreet Singh and Hardik Singh, controlled the tempo of the match with their relentless attacking play. The forwardline, spearheaded by Gurjant Singh and Sukhjeet Singh, capitalized on the opportunities created by the midfield, with Abhishek scoring a superb field goal to give India the lead.
Skipper Harmanpreet Singh, who has been in scintillating form throughout the tournament, added two more goals to his tally, taking his total to six. The backline, anchored by Amit Rohidas and Jarmanpreet Singh, defended stoutly, while veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh made several crucial saves.
The transition of the ball from defense to midfield to forwardline was a key factor in India’s success against Australia. The Indians used aerial passes to great effect, a tactic that proved highly effective against the Kookaburras.
India’s chief coach, Craig Fulton, has instilled a sense of self-belief in his team, who are now just two wins away from back-to-back Olympic medals. “It was an important match. We needed a match like this before the quarterfinals. From the start we put them under pressure. It’s a proud moment to beat Australia,” said Harmanpreet after the Australia match.
In other quarterfinals, Belgium will take on Spain, Australia will face Netherlands, and Germany will face Argentina. India will be hoping to emulate their bronze medal performance from the Tokyo Olympics and make history by reaching the semifinals.
