If Tokyo 2020 was resurrection, Paris 2024 is turning out to be reaffirmation that the Indian hockey team is well and truly on its way to becoming a global giant again.
Down to 10 men for close to 40 minutes in a 60-minute game, Harmanpreet Singh’s men didn’t just hold off Britain 1-1 in regulation time, they outplayed the old foes 4-2 in the ensuing shootout to enter the Olympic semifinals for a second successive edition.
The win was special in more ways than one because an average hockey fan in India is not used to seeing the team show such tenacity in a high-pressure situation.
The bronze that these men pulled off in Tokyo was a first in 41 years. It was an emotional revival for a sport, whose glorious past of eight Olympic gold medals, the last of which came in 1980, had become a source of nostalgia and grief in equal measure.
The win in Paris is a reassurance that the side is on the right track.
Little wonder then that the hockey fraternity as well as the average man on the street was left in awe of mental toughness and unity that India showed on Sunday.
“Words cannot express the sort of tenacity, fighting spirit and unity these players have displayed today. Every player was backing each other after they were one player down,” Ajit Pal Singh, captain of the 1975 World Cup-winning team told PTI.
“The way they defended was world-class and Sreejesh was simply at different level. In all the matches from pool stages they only got better and the nation is expecting another medal from the team.
“The performance so far in Paris is a testament to the fact that we can now beat any side in the world and it all started from Tokyo,” he added.
Great Britain dominated possession and played with man-to-man marking, not allowing India to attack much. In the absence of Rohidas, Manpreet Singh, who plays in mid-field, was asked to man the defence.
Reduced to 10 men on the pitch, India could not play scoop balls, a strategy that worked for the side in previous matches, but it managed to escape without getting hurt.
It all boiled down to how Sreejesh would perform and the veteran goalkeeper did not disappoint, blocking the third and fourth attempts by Connor Williamson and Phillip Ropper after the score was tied 2-2 in the shootout.
James Albrey and Zach Wallace had scored earlier for Great Britain while skipper Harmanpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Upadhyay and Rajkumar Pal sounded the board for India.
“We had no option but to keep the score tied till the end. We focussed on defence, we played to a structure and today communication between the players was pretty good. It was a team effort,” Harmanpreet said.
The skipper said they had to forget the red card and move forward.
“We could not change what had happened. It was a team effort, it was our best defence, playing with 10 men, that was a hard part.”
“At this stage, we can’t afford to be nervous, no matter who we play or we play extra man or not. That mind-set will remain in the next match.”
Harmanpreet acknowledged Sreejesh’s role in the win but insisted that it was not a one-man show.
