Out pacing India with immaculate precision, Argentina sent shivers down the spines of the hosts India throughout the sixty minutes of play for a fitting 3-o win.
“It was one day off”. This is how dejected chief coach Roelant Oltmans said.
That one day turned out to be against full crowd, and full VIPs in the galleries is a bad advertisement for Indian hockey.
Its not exaggeration that Argentina outplayed India from first minute to last seconds, virtually.
Unable to contain a last seconds thrust, India conceded its ninth penalty corner. That it went for a referral did not count with the third umpire.
Gonzalo Peillat again converted for this second and team’s third goal, adding salt to the wounded hosts.
Converting a penalty corner well within first two minutes, Argentina did not yield any leeway to India and then getting three consecutive penalty corners in the next quarter added another to end the half time 2-0.
Peillat sent a stunner to the left of Sreejesh to strike his first goal in the second minute and then in the other quarter Menini Joaquin tapped in a rebound from diving Sree to puncture India second time.
Earlier, Governor and Chief Minister of Chhatisgarh State were presented to the teams.
This was preceded by a 45-minute cultural program, well choreographed.