The Tribune: Fighting India hold US to a draw, cross over to knockouts

The beleaguered Indian women’s hockey team produced a spirited performance to come back from a goal down and hold higher-ranked USA to a 1-1 draw in their last Pool B match and progress to the knockout stages of the World Cup here today. The draw enabled India to keep their campaign afloat and progress to the cross overs while the Americans crashed out of the event.

As per the rules of the tournament, the top teams from the four pools progress directly to the quarterfinals while the second and third placed teams will feature in the cross overs to decide the remaining four spots of the last-eight round.

Margaux Paolino (11th minute) broke the deadlock for world No. 7 USA before skipper Rani Rampal equalised for 10th ranked India in the 31st minute. The Indians started brightly with good forays into the US citadel but the forwards failed to breach the rival defence.

Gradually, the Americans grew in confidence and started to attack the Indian goal quite frequently. From one such occasion, Margaux Paolino scored from a rebound in the 11th minute after her initial try was kicked away by Indian goalkeeper Savita Punia.

India fight back

Stung by the goal, the Indians continued to press forward and secured two penalty corners in the final minutes of the first quarter but dragflicker Gurjit Kaur failed on both occasion. Trailing by a goal, the Indians came out all guns blazing after the change of ends and drew level in the very first minute of the third quarter through a penalty corner conversion by skipper Rani Rampal.

The Indians showed great energy and attacked the American goal in numbers. In the process, they earned their sixth penalty corner in the 47th minute but Gurjit’s powerful flick was brilliantly saved by Briggs. The Indians, thereafter, defended brilliantly to deny USA any breakthrough to secure the hard-earned win and prolong their stay in the tournament.