Though it was India who were eager to get off the blocks with aggressive attack in the first quarter as they employed high press to restrict the Spanish players from making any headway early in the game. There were plenty of opportunities India created in the opening quarter with a PC coming their way as early as the third minute of the game. But Jugraj’s flick didn’t make the post and was cleared by Spain’s first rusher. In the 14th minute, India came close to 1-0 lead when a fine pass by Abhishek was picked up brilliantly by Lalit Upadhyay who made a brilliant run in. But when he looked up to see if he can make an assist, there was no one inside the circle, forcing him to take the shot anyway but went wide off target.
The second quarter saw Suraj Karkera coming in place of Krishan Pathak at the goalpost and he was exceptional in his efforts when he made a fine save in the 18th minute. This attempt on goal showed that Spain was ready to build on the momentum and trouble the Indian defence. They constantly pressed forward and successfully penetrated into the circle but Karkera stood strong in the post. For India’s forwardline, Abhishek and Sukhjeet remained the cynosure, created a number of chances. It was eventually Sukhjeet who fetched India’s opening goal in the 25th minute. It was a dramatic goal, as Sukhjeet couldn’t trap the assist by Jarmanpreet Singh at first but managed to recover quickly to take a reverse shot on goal. In only the following minute, India won a PC but could make much of the chance to double their lead. Meanwhile, Spain equalised in the 28th minute through Borja Lacalle. It didn’t help India’s cause when they missed converting from another PC in the 29th minute, ending the second quarter with 1-1 stalemate.
There was plenty of action at the start of the third quarter with Spain keeping Krishan Pathak busy in the goalpost. While they earned a PC, that was saved by Pathak in the 33rd minute, another PC was saved in the 35th minute. While Spain’s field goal was disallowed in the 37th minute, as the ball touched the feet of a Spanish forward before going into the net, they scored a clean one in the 38th minute through a PC. Though Borja Lacalle’s trap was poor, he kept the ball possession and finds Ignacio Cobos who made no mistake in putting the ball in.
The 2-1 lead gave Spain good momentum going into the last quarter. While India’s woes with PC conversion continued, Spain scored a critical goal in the 56th minute that was a game-winner for them. A rookie mistake by Harmanpreet as he attempted to take the aerial pass from Spain’s possession resulted in conceding a PC. Though the Indian side argued the call, the umpire remained adamant. Bruno Avila slotted the ball with a brilliant dragflick, scoring his maiden international goal.
India would be disappointed with the result but will vie to bounce back on Sunday when they take on Spain in the double header.
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The first quarter was tightly contested, with both teams scoring once. India took the lead in the 6th minute after earning the first penalty corner of the match. Manisha Chauhan’s initial shot was blocked by England’s first rusher, Tessa Howard. The rebound fell to Sushila Chanu, who unleashed a powerful shot that was smartly deflected into the net by Vaishnavi Vitthal Phallke. After a brief review, the goal was awarded to India.
England responded in the 12th minute, capitalizing on a defensive lapse. Vaishnavi lost possession inside the shooting circle, allowing Maddie Axford to take a shot, which was initially saved by goalkeeper Savita. However, Darcy Bourne reacted quickly to slot home the rebound, leveling the score. Towards the end of the first quarter, Tessa Howard fired a powerful shot from the left, but Savita produced a strong save to keep the score tied at 1-1.
The second quarter remained tightly contested. India dominated possession, moving the ball swiftly with accurate passing, while England pressed high and won the ball in dangerous areas. In the 25th minute, India earned their second penalty corner, which was expertly converted by young drag-flick sensation Deepika, who marked her milestone 50th international appearance with a crucial goal.
England gained momentum in the final quarter, earning three consecutive penalty corners, but failed to convert any of them. Their relentless pressure finally paid off in the 58th minute when Fiona Crackles found the equalizer.
However, India responded almost immediately. Just a minute later, Vice Captain Navneet Kaur struck powerfully from the edge of the shooting circle, sending the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs and into the net. The late goal secured a dramatic 3-2 victory for India, earning them three points to start their campaign on a high.
Photos: Shamim Qureshy