INDIA overcame a two-goal deficit to eke out a 3-2 in over Argentina and finish with the bronze medal in the Champions Challenge hockey tournament.
Their hopes to qualify for Champions Trophy dashed after the semi-final defeat against Pakistan, the Indians were trailing 2-0 inside the first half an hour before V Raghunath (35th minute), Gurbaz Singh (54th) and Dhananjay Mahadik (69th) sounded the board to complete the win.
The bronze-medal game started with both the teams taking their time and gauging each other before going on the offensive.
Argentina had the lion’s share of ball control and the hosts managed a series of penalty corners but Indian custodian P Sreejesh was reassuring under the bar. On the second penalty corner, Pedro Ibarra collected the rebound but sent his shot too high. Finally, Facundo Callioni opened their account in the 22nd minute with a shot from a tough angle. India tried to shift play into the Argentinean half but Callioni hit the target again soon with a spectacular diving deflection.
Getting momentum back STUNG by the quick goals, the Indians pulled up their socks and started to dominate but they could not get close enough to generate a good enough chance. Towards the end of second of the first half, they earned a penalty corner and Raghunath converted it, reducing their deficit going into the break and winning the momentum back in the process.
The Indians maintained the tempo and put pressure for the first 10 minutes of the second half, but Ibarra, Fernando Zylberberg and Ignacio Bergner, backed by Juan Tomas Espinosa in the goal, looked rock solid. Argentina then had an opportunity to stretch the lead but Thomas Argento’s reverse missed the mark by a whisker.
India then found the equaliser in the 54th minute through Gurbaj after some excellent work along the backline by Tushar Khandker.
Having erased the deficit, the Indians were on a roll and dominated the possession for a long sequence of skillful plays. It was finally a penalty corner from Mahadik that got them the winner.