S2H Team

India’s women’s hockey team will be hurting far more on Monday in their 0-2 defeat against Germany than after their 1-5 to The Netherlands in their Olympic opener.

Dutchman and head coach Sjoerd Marinje’s girls may feel gutted that there was at least a point for the taking if not all three after a display that not so long ago would have been termed uncharacteristic in terms of energy, resilience and power.

Fine-line errors in defence undermined India’s fortunes in the match and a moment of despair arrived when a penalty stroke went begging.

For a match and a half did India wait for a penalty corner so that they could launch their drag-flick weapon Gurjit Kaur.

It finally arrived but it was Rani Rampal who played a key role in forcing a penalty stroke with a hit from the penalty corner, albeit via a smart referral.

Gurjit, presented a chance from the seven-yard spot, essayed one at a comfortable height for goalkeeper Julia Sonntag to brush against her left post.

Had she scored, Gurjit would have leveled scores after German captain Nike Lorenz scored off her team’s first penalty corner in the 12th minute, the ball eluding goalkeeper Savita Punia and a defender at the right post.

That prodigality was punished moments later when Anne Schroder, running unopposed into the circle to spank the ball past Savita and make it 2-0.

To the Indians’ credit they retained intensity till the very end even though Sharmila Devi did not do her team any favours by drawing a yellow card with nine minutes remaining.

The suspension deprived India of the verve and thrust that she provided upfront, but the team gladdened Indian hearts with staying power that matched a European side as robust as Germany.
Vandana Katariya too sparkled often and the team showed that it was not all about Rani, the captain, and an icon.
India now play Great Britain in a match crucial to retain hopes to make the quarterfinals.

South Africa and Ireland are the other teams in Pool A and, mathematically, the Indian women are still in the running to make the last eight.