India wins the heart at London

India finishes second in the hard fought final against Australia by 1-3 in shootouts

Everyone predicted a famous Australian white wash for India. Such projection and prospects had historical, recent and past, backing.

Playing incredibly, goalie PR Sreejesh led India proved it is not only a better side than they are believed to be, but also a team of character.

India played a clam, composed and purposeful match throughout the 60 minutes notwithstanding a harsh yellow to one of its forwards in the fag end of the game.

Australians were not allowed the kind of elbow room they are used to extract especially with India.

Australians even were seen indulging in rough, physical game shades beyond acceptable norms. They even got two simultaneous greens and a long 10-minute yellow.

This was made possible as the Indians has got their basics correct, no aimless run ins, no blind shots, no unforced errors.

They focussed on ball possession, building moves, believing in geometry rather than blind belief in go all out.

The Aussies were their usual self, in creativity inside circle in particular.

They earned as many as ten penalty corners and one of them turning to be a stroke, which Daniel Beale pushed wide.

They got penalty corners in aplenty, each one result of intensity of attack.

Indians defended everyone of them, nowhere it looked the goal was impending.

As time wore out, and the chances of Aussies’ getting goal getting vanished, instead Indian ascendency in every department of the game came out glaringly, the Indians have won the heart.

The underdogs, who lost two semifinals in the last two editions, can return heads held high.

They stopped the Australian jagarnauth.

After goalless 60 minutes, India and Australia fought in the shootouts for the gold medal.

Aran, Beale and Simon converted for Australia. India’s lone goal came from Harmanpreet Singh whereas SK Uthappa, SV Sunil and Surender Kumar couldn’t convert.

India lodged an official protest on neutral umpire on giving another chance to Beale in shoot out.

After an hour or so, FIH confirmed Australia as the winners with final score remaining unchanged, 3-1 in shootouts.

SPECIAL AWARDS

Best Junior Player of the tournament: Harmanpreet of India

Best Goalie: George Pinner of Great Britain

Top scorer: Marco Miltakau of Germany

Player of the tournament: Tobias Hauke of Germany