The temperature in Tokyo on Saturday morning was 35 degrees with humidity at 45%. At the Oi hockey stadium, during India’s 3-2 win against New Zealand in their opener, the ambience was hot enough to fry an egg inside the chicken. In the end, what mattered was seasoned goalkeeper PR Sreejesh’s calm head and quick reflexes, which tilted the verdict in India’s favour. While they walked away with a morale-boosting win and three points in the Pool A contest, it exposed some chinks in the armour which need to be addressed before India take on Australia, who battled to a 5-3 win over hosts Japan in the opener, on Sunday.
The takeaways for India, apart from Sreejesh’s brilliance, was their ability to hold on to the lead and stay composed at the finish line. This apart, there were waves of brilliance from the defenders, penalty corner conversions from Rupinderpal Singh and Harmanpreet Singh. Manpreet Singh and co. also turned out to be the wiser men on the pitch with crucial video referrals, which turned out to be a game-changer.
On the flipside, the inexperience in the forward line was laid bare. They frittered away 25 circle penetrations, holding on to the ball longer than necessary and stuttering with coordination inside the striking circle. Also, their counterattacks were below par. The fact that they conceded 10 penalty corners will not be lost on the defenders.
The first quarter was all about the open game New Zealand rolled out. They attacked on both flanks and stormed ahead in the sixth minute when the experienced Kane Russell slotted the ball past
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Tollywood was happy hunting turf for conman
Kept Database Of Mobile Nos. Of Film Celebs
State-funded Metro to chug into RGIA in 3 yrs
Residents’ Plea To KTR To Extend Other Rail Lines
Rajiv Makhni becomes the face of smart tech luggage with proximity indicator
The VIP SmarTech series, a range of smart travel gear, keeps you connected with your luggage via your smartphone
I want to reach out to Samantha and tell her that if I can make it, so can you, says Vikram Bhatt
The filmmaker opens up about his 18-year-long battle with fibromyalgia, a chronic disorder that causes widespread muscle pain
Rain ruins second ODI
The match was reduced to 29-overs-a-side as the first interruption caused a four-hour break. India were 22 for no loss in the fifth over at that time.
Croatia come in hard, show Canada the exit
After their dour opening draw with Morocco had instigated a post-mortem into whether this Croatia side lacked a killer instinct, Kramaric and Marko Livaja found the net before the break to take the wind out of Canada’s sails.
Denmark calls on Euro 2020, Eriksen experience
Denmark has been here before.
Ronaldo targets KO berth
Win Vs Uruguay Will Help Portugal Advance With A Game To Spare
Govt doubles large aircraft wet lease period to 1 yr
Accordingly, IndiGo can now wet lease two twin aisles to operate flights between Delhi/Mumbai and Istanbul for a year.
Deuba's party emerges as single largest party in poll
Elections to the House of Representatives and seven provincial assemblies were held on November 20.
