In front of 4000 noisy spectators, India rallied to beat a spirited New Zealand 3-2 in its opening Pool-B hockey match at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium here on Saturday.
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Backed by its supporters, India made an impressive start by putting pressure on New Zealand. It used both flanks — on the carpet and through the air — to surprise its opponent with high balls from the deep. Abhishek’s shot at an open goal was deflected from custodian Dominic Dixon’s pads in the fourth minute.
However, New Zealand drew first blood against the run of play in the eighth minute. Vivek Sagar Prasad’s mistake inside the circle resulted in a penalty corner and Sam Lane sounded the board.
As the Black Sticks controlled the ball and made some well-coordinated forays, Amit Rohidas stood out with his fine tackles and clearances either side of the first break.
The Indians switched positions continuously to explore openings, but New Zealand’s alert and compact defence remained firm and initiated quick counter-attacks.
Drawing level
The Craig Fulton-coached team got two consecutive short corners and managed to draw parity off the second with Mandeep Singh slotting in a rebound.
Then Mandeep’s reverse hit found the athletic Dixon, but the Harmanpreet Singh-led side grabbed the much-needed lead as Vivek pushed home following a scramble in the 34th minute.
India, known for conceding penalty corners easily, blocked four, including three successive ones.
A never-say-die New Zealand earned three more back-to-back short corners and converted the last one through its legend Simon Child.
However, India had the last laugh as Harmanpreet converted a 59th minute penalty stroke much to the fans’ delight.
The result: India 3 (Mandeep 24, Vivek 34, Harmanpreet 59-ps) bt New Zealand 2 (Lane 8, Child 53).
Published - July 28, 2024 12:39 am IST
