It was a 3-2 penalty shoot-out after the two sides were at it in a 0-0 draw. India not only made up for an old score but also banked a bonus point in the process. Sunday’s game was hard-fought, but composure and a couple of no-nonsense video referrals made the difference.
India turn the tables with nerve and precision
When you get to a shoot-out you need to be sure of yourself, and India was. Abhishek, Shilanand Lakra and Hardik Singh put theirs away to make it 3-2. It was a show of control after 60 minutes of a match that was more about holding the line than putting the ball in the back of the net.
Sanjay was right to be named Player of the Match; he showed how this was won from the back. He kept things in order in the circle while the forwards waited for their moment to strike or to see out the shoot-out.
Two referrals change the game
There was a scene in the third quarter that could have been the undoing of India. Yashdeep Singh was called for a foul on Henry Croft and England got a penalty. India made a beeline for the video room. The footage told a different story – a clean tackle – and the call was reversed, killing off what would have been a golden opportunity for the English.
Then there was the last two seconds. England are given a penalty corner and India put in a challenge. Once again, the referral holds up and the 0-0 is left intact, sending us to the one-on-ones where India has the upper hand.
Goalkeepers anchor a clean sheet
A lot of credit has to go to the gloves. Mohith Shashikumar was first to the party with a fine double save, then he was there to stop Sam Ward and put a check on Sanford to take the wind out of England’s sails when they had the ball for a while.
Later on, when England came at them, it was down to Sanjay Karkera. He made some must-haves, even from a late penalty corner, and was a presence in open play. And with a well-timed read from Jarmanpreet Singh, the backline didn’t so much as waver.
England’s pressure meets India’s counter-threat
The hosts had the better of the early stuff and even forced a penalty corner when Yashdeep put in on Sam Ward. Abhishek had India’s best chance of the opening period, but England dictated the flow for the most part.
You saw the same in the second, with Bandurak nearly having it and a Jarmanpreet Singh shot put away at the other end. But come the second half, the dynamic changed. India were on the move and Hardik set up Mandeep nicely, though the England keeper was there to put an end to it.
Why this result matters now
So 3-2 in the shoot-out after a 0-0 is how it ends. This was the last of the Pro League before the World Cup and the bonus point is nice to have, but the confidence is the real takeaway. India proved they can handle a niggly game with some head on their shoulders.
With Sanjay in charge at the back and the likes of Shashikumar and Karkera making the important plays, the goal was well-protected. In front of them, it was the level heads of Abhishek, Lakra and Hardik who put the nail in the coffin from the spot.
Some of the moments that made the difference:
– The penalty stroke that was taken back on India’s say-so
– A penalty corner in the dying seconds that was binned on review
– An early double save from Mohith to set the pace
– Karkera being there in the nick of time to ensure the shoot-out
Don’t look for any fancy footwork here; this was about the small things. England did their job, but India’s shape was solid, their appeals were on the money and the finishers did what they had to. As you build for a tournament of this calibre, that is the kind of formula you want to be running with.
