K. ARUMUGAM

Harmanpreet Singh was again the cornerstone for India on the hockey pitch. On Monday it was a rescue act to dispatch home a drag flick from top of the ‘D’ to help India force a 1-1 draw with Argentina at the Stade Yuves-du-Manoir in Paris as Olympic hockey action gathered steam in glorious sunshine.

On Saturday, the powerfully built defender struck from a late penalty stroke to score India the match-winner against New Zealand and kick-start the campaign with a 3-2 win.

Today, just like in the last match, he scored with just a shade under two minutes left on the clock, he salvaged a precious point for his team in a treacherous pool that includes Australia and Belgium, the finalists at the last edition.

The strike provided relief to the bench and the large Indian support in the stands that included Rahul Dravid, former India cricketer and coach, and came as reward for resilience and persistence after Argentina shot ahead through a field goal by Lucas Martinez in the 22nd minute against the run of play.

India, sixth in the FIH rankings, enjoyed the lion’s share of the stats over Argentina, a rung below. As much as 55% possession, 17-13 circle entries and 10-4 on penalty corners.

But they also enjoyed a stroke of luck, pun unintended. Maico Casella sent his powerful essay from seven yards inches wide of Sreejesh’s left post in the 37th minute, the award following Jarmanpreet Singh’s body block of Casella’s drag flick from Argentina’s second penalty corner.

The Indian captain was phlegmatic, however, after the pulsating encounter and regretted the 1/10 penalty corner conversion by his side that lacks a deputy ace drag-flicker.

Argentina came into the match after running Australia close in a 0-1 defeat. The South Americans, 2016 champions, played second fiddle to their skilful Asian opponents for much of the first quarter during which India were clearly unlucky to not take the lead – Abhishek’s back-hander from the left of the circle striking the cross bar with the match 11 minutes old.

If it wasn’t the metalwork, it was goalkeeper Thomas Santiago, who, like Dominic Dixon of New Zealand in the first match, stood between India and a commanding lead.

A succession of three penalty corners proved abortive for India after Santiago had his say, padding to safety the first one and the re-award for the second with his left kicker to avert damage to the Argentine goal.

India pinned Argentina in their own 23 but were caught on the wrong foot when Martinez dashed into the circle from the right to force a rare error from Sreejesh whose attempt to divert the ball away from a lurking Santiago Tarazona only succeeded in deflecting it into his own goal.

The third quarter proved an even affair, though slightly leaning towards Argentina who will rue the gilt-edged chance to score from the spot but India were also left agonizing in the final minute of the quarter when Santiago denied Sukhjeet with a smart save.

Argentina could have put the match to bed but Captain Augustin Mazzilli was just out of position to tuck away a cross from the right just five minutes from time.

India, viewing the clock, pulled out Sreejesh for an extra outfield player and the calculated risk paid off.

Chances fell for the eight-time gold medallists who broke a 41-year-old medal drought at Tokyo 2020 by winning bronze and a flurry of penalty corners followed.

A team referral by India caused a moment of drama when the video umpire advised “penalty stroke” for a 5m infringement to an aerial ball by an Argentine defender. The on-field umpires conferred to commute the award to a penalty corner after deciding the act wasn’t deliberate, providing thereby a rare case of a video umpire’s verdict being rejected.

It didn’t overly hamper India’s fortunes and a re-award brought a 10th penalty- corner. Harmanpreet, concentration and determination personified, sent in a howitzer that took a deflection from a rusher and brushed the intrepid Santiago’s pad en route to the net.

India will now need to do some quick soul-searching before their next encounter in Pool A on the morrow against Ireland who stretched vaunted Australia while going down 1-2.