In a match watched on by Rahul Dravid and Steve Waugh (there for ETPL purposes), the World No. 8 had a few openings via penalty corner but they couldn’t sound the board. Their opponents were disciplined, held the ball in tight spaces before opening the scoring in the 41st minute.
Cheered on by a partisan crowd, they always had the bit between their teeth. Knowing they could afford to sit deep and break at pace after scoring, India struggled from creating clear-cut chances at scoring a field goal. That’s what happened over the last part of the game as India had a lot of the ball and even created a few scoring chances from set pieces but when they lost the ball, the hosts picked the ball and went and scored twice before the end of the game.
Netherlands’ second and third goals were sandwiched by a goal from Harmanpreet from the penalty corner but it proved to a consolation goal at the end. More worryingly, the captain, who had reportedly missed a training session with a back issue on Friday, was seen receiving treatment on his back after scoring the goal. He had also missed vast parts of the second quarter.
They will need him to be fit and firing against the South Americans on Monday if they are to have any chance of mounting an 11th hour comeback. It won’t get any easier. In a Pro League encounter in India earlier in the year, Argentina had blanked India 8-0. One thing that has repeatedly cost Harmanpreet & Co. at the World Cup is that they have not been to maintain control and dictate tempo.
Better late than never when Argentina come calling on Monday.
