Indian team may have been heartbroken on losing the opener to Belgium conceding a goal in the dying moments, but seen in its entirety the victor deserved it, rather earned it.

Any other results would have been unfair, much against what has transpired on the ground.

India played a perfect defensive hockey in the first half like the Europeans of the 80s and 90s, and were distinctly lucky not to concede more than a solitary goal.

Absence of penalty corner executioner in Loick Luypaert helped India unhurt despite conceding half a dozen penalty corners in the spell.
In the entire first half, Belgians were on top. Entire Indian team defended. But there were positives here, though it seemed a dull and boring part from India.

India did not panic, withstood the onslaught. PR Sreejesh churned out another of good performance.

Even Sardar Singh, who was playing like a centre-forward, had to revert back to midfield midway through first half – and in the second half he was full of a defender.

On a few occasions Indian made inroads in the first half, unusually off colour SV Sunil messed it up.

When the attacks are were few and far between his failure to stop and send the ball across the circle on either flank stood out. He messed up whatever little headway Indian forwards made in the first half.

What one has to ponder over is the fact that India conceded a goal in the last minutes of either half. This brings to the mind the question of closing down the game. Though it is easy to articulate the last second goals – one here, another at Monchengladbach in the opener against Germany in 2006 World Cup, and many more – the point is whether India deserved to win on a particular day.

India did not here on Saturday. So was at Monchegladbach.
India’s strength, as I observed in the preview, was penalty corners, getting adequate number of them.

Belgians conceded just one speaks volume of their precise work on the defence.

The Belgians were fast, precise and never gave up. Once India took 2-1 lead and then meandering for 2-2 draw, it relaxed a bit. Its here, the mindset of foreseeing the result rather than forcing the result it wants, that counts.

Giving away a goal when 8,10 seconds left in the clock is not the way one would have lost the match, but the reality is India could have lost the opener bigger way.

Barring a 10,15 minutes spell in the second half, India was under the control of the Belgians.
They never gave up. They rotated the ball faster and better. They were a better side. They deserved the outright win. That they got in the dying moments of the game is an academic thing.