K. ARUMUGAM

“Semifinal is never going to be easy.” Savita often used to say, the latest one coming early in the year  during the Asia Cup. At Muscat, it turned out to be prophetical as her team failed. This time at Valencia, her team overcame stiff resistance from Ireland and emerged with colours to enter the FIH Nations Cup.

Ireland is always a tough customer for the Indian girls. In 2018 World Cup for instant, Rani Rampal’s team lost the league 0-1 and then the quarterfinal in the shoot out. Two years later, a solitary goal win at Tokyo helped it keep its hopes alive of quarterfinal. Coming after three successive defeats, the Ireland stunner led India to historic Olympic semifinal.

With Pro-League at stake, India was almost desperate to beat the Irish, which it did today with a hard fight. Even as Savita’s team was aggressive ab initio and had better of exchanges, goals did not come. Its penalty corner drills, as in the recent past, was not helpful. India was often wasteful in the important department.

Ireland stunned India with a goal in the dying minutes of the first quarter, and carried the lead to two next quarters before Udita’s touch saw the ball inside the cage (1-1).

Both rivals struggled to find a result within the regulation time.  When India’s defender and mainstay got a yellow card suspension six minutes before the hooter, the Irish got a spell of dominance, but it was quelled by the calm and composure the team, the trait they learnt the hardway under the tutelage of Jenneke Schoppman.

Shoot out had to come. It came. Both sides missed including India’s reliable Salima and Neha. However, Savita, almost a shoot out specialist, stopped the fifth attempt of their rival team, India, then leading 2-1 avoided sudden death.

For captain Savita, its a sweet revenge for London duel.

India will now take on the hosts for the title.