The Indian women's hockey team defeated New Zealand to keep their hopes alive of qualifying for the Paris Olympics. (PHOTO: Hockey India)
It’s a situation the men’s team is fairly familiar with: a big tournament, a seemingly straightforward task made hugely complicated and not knowing which side will turn up on the match day – the sensationally skilful or frustratingly awful.
The women have followed in their footsteps. In two days, India’s hopes of qualifying for the Olympics have gone from touching the nadir, thanks to the opening-day defeat to the US, to being resurrected in the most extraordinary fashion with a win over New Zealand on Sunday.
When the Savita Punia-led team returns to action in the Olympic qualifying tournament on Tuesday, they’ll hope there will be no more twists. That bit, though, won’t be entirely in their hands.
Before they take the field in Ranchi at 7.30 pm local time, India will have their eyes fixed on the outcome of the earlier match between the USA and New Zealand. For, it will set the target for the hosts against an Italy side capable of creating trouble.
The scenarios, from India’s perspective, are simple: if New Zealand (3 points, goal difference 1) fail to win against the USA (6 points, goal difference 3), then India (3 points, goal difference 1) will simply have to defeat Italy (0 points, goal difference -5).
However, if New Zealand beat the US, India will not only have to beat Italy but they might have to do it with a handsome margin as the goal difference will come into play given that three teams – New Zealand, the USA and India – will all be level on six points.
India haven’t had a lot of trouble scoring against lower-ranked teams, as the match against New Zealand on Sunday and at the Asian Champions Trophy a couple of months ago showed. But their strength will be put to test in a do-or-die situation where careers will be at stake, especially against a tricky Italy side that is physical and maintains a robust defensive structure.
Or, as India coach Janneke Schopman put it, an opponent that’s ‘Argentinian spirited’. “It’s going to be tough because they are feisty, they are Argentinian-spirited, Mediterranean-style. But if we move the ball, if we show patience, then our skills will come to shine,” Schopman said after the win on Sunday.
Schopman pointed out the two areas where the outcome will be more or less decided: the penalty corner conversion and positioning of the attackers inside the ‘D’.
India’s PC rate has been abysmal so far – in the two matches, they’ve earned 12 corners but converted only 1, with Udita Duhan who celebrated her 26th birthday on Sunday scoring with a superb slap-shot. But Deepika, the designated drag-flicker, has not been able to find her range so far.
Ditto with creating field goal chances, where – if not for Salima Tete – India would have been made to struggle against New Zealand. The local Jharkhand girl was at the heart of every move India made on Sunday. She was barely taken off the field, ran tirelessly and saw passes that no other player could.
Tete single-handedly created the first goal inside the opening minute, which set the tone for the rest of the evening, and set the wings on fire with her speed. India will hope the likes of Lalremsiami, Navneet Kaur and Neha Goyal, the other attackers who have the ability to trouble defences with their speed, will rise to the occasion in case the Italians try to mark Tete out of the game.
But eventually, it’ll come down to patience and decision making. These were the key reasons – along with a high level of discipline – between India’s two performances over the weekend.
Against the US, India looked nervous and restless, the players collided into each other because of poor positioning and made wrong decisions inside the attacking third. That changed on Sunday, mostly because Tete took the game by the scruff of the neck but also because the defence and the midfield played out a near-flawless game.
India will need more of the latter on Sunday. For, this team also has the habit of ditching the game plan when frustrated by their opponents. Another bad habit they’ve picked from the men’s side.
SCENARIOS FOR INDIAN WOMEN’S HOCKEY TEAM TO QUALIFY FOR PARIS OLYMPICS:
If New Zealand (3 points, goal difference 1) lose or draw against the USA (6 points, goal difference 3), then India (3 points, goal difference 1) will simply have to defeat Italy (0 points, goal difference -5). In that case, the USA and India will qualify for the semifinals.
If New Zealand beat the US, India will not only have to beat Italy but they might have to do it with a handsome margin as the goal difference will come into play given that three teams – New Zealand, the USA and India – will all be level on six points.
