“A nightmare happened there”, were the first words of Gerhard Rach, India’s German coach, as he faced the world’s media following India’s last minute 4-3 defeat by Australia in their third match at the Helliniko Stadium in Athens last night.

Rach was facing up not only to the terrible finale to the match but the fact that India, with two defeats in thee games, have almost certainly lost their chance to get back on the medal stand. Indians the world over will once again suffer. We have to go back to the 1980 gold for the last time India reached the semi finals in either the Olympics or World Cup.

Rach, like his Indian predecessors as coach, has one objective to take India back to what he terms, “their rightful place at the top of the hockey ladder”. Perhaps now the die is cast and he will not get another chance.

“We were on the way to confounding the critics”, was his second comment in the press conference. He felt a win over Australia, a country that always reaches the semi finals, had been quite possible for much of last night’s game, and especially after India came back from 3-1 down to level at 3-3.

It was then one felt that character became a crucial factor. Australia recovered from their setback. They kept their focus and played with composure. And, significantly, they kept the foot on the pedal in attack. One gained the distinct impression their players wanted it more. Rach said afterwards he was happy that his players kept to their team strategy and displayed patience.

The fact remains Australia had eight shots on goal in that final 20 minutes, India none. If anyone was going to score it was Australia and they did 24 seconds before the final hooter. India did storm forward then, desperately needing to force a corner. They reached the Australian circle and ahead of them an Australian was unbalanced, his feet vulnerable. An experienced player would have aimed for that foot, but one of India’s youngest players attempted something cleverer and the chance was gone.

It was a pity it was not Dhanraj Pillay who had the ball. He had played his best game. But Pillay was yellow carded six minutes before the end. He was the victim of a quite unreasonable decision. He did interfere with an Australian stick but his offence was minor compared to the many stick and body interferences perpetrated throughout the game by the Australians.

But Australia did play very well and in Jamie Dwyer they had the game’s outstanding player. The lightweight Dwyer has come back after a long time out with injury to play better than ever. He has been quite the outstanding player of these Olympics so far. Going forward, he is electric fast “we used to say that about Indian players’ has brilliant skills, a fierce shot from any angle and an uncanny knack of scoring goals. Yet his value to Australia does not stop there. He is also a good defender and ball winner.

All the Australians seem to have some of Dwyer’s ingredients. They are a hard side to contain and they always play for 70 minutes. Perhaps India didn’t.

Rach does not have much time to lift his team for they play New Zealand next in one of the morning games tomorrow. It is crucial India are lifted. The new target must be to keep fighting, to stay in the hunt. In the past Indian teams have lost their edge when the semis have eluded them. That accounts for their regularly slipping to 7th and 8th in the Olympics. Nothing less than 5th place should be the new target.