MATCH REPORT:QF3: India stuns Great Britain, enters the semis

In perfect sync with its rising global rating, India transformed itself to a higher level least expected but at the most crucial of phase as quarterfinal of the World League, to post two lightening goals and then withstood agonising pressure in the last quarter of play to enter the semifinal.

With a goal apiece coming from Reliable Raghunath and unlikely hero Talwinder Singh in the 19th and 39th minutes respectively, India moved to the next phase.

It’s second time in a year’s gap that India is successively in the semifinals of world’s elite hockey tournament.

India was in the semis of biannual Champions Trophy last December in Bhubneswar.

The victory is also a sweet revenge for India which lost to the British 1-5 at Antwerp, Belgium in the HWL Semifinals.

Playing against full crowd, which exceeded what one witnessed in the opening match, the visitors certainly buckled, often committing unforced errors.

However, they came strongly in the last quarter where they were all over the Indian territory, and also reduced the margin. Simon Mantell struck off a penalty corner that withstood a referral.

Coach Bobby Crutchley even took the risk of removing goalie in order to pep up attack. India certainly showed its maturity to ward off the intense pressure.

Indian defence was perfect today, and did not allow us to equalize. Your goalkeeper also played well, said Simon Mantel, who scored the consolation goal for the British.

The young British side which defeated the likes of Australia with a tennis like score did not measure of today.

Old fox Roelant Oltmans played a different first eleven today with freshers like Amir Khan, Chinglensana in the first eleven, and doing a fair job.

Harry Gibson, the British goalie in the earlier phase warded off a solo from Akashdeep Singh, and whenever India broke the brittle British defence, the youngster showed his class and denied a sure third goal in the late second half.

In fact the British started sluggishly and went full press only in the third quarter, where many times they came close to closing in on the deficit, but the defence consisting of Birendra Lakra and Raghunath stood firm.

Indian goalie PR Sreejesh had the last laugh.

India will now take on Belgium, the winner of Belgium-Argentina Quarters.