Custodian PR Sreejesh was not too concerned that the outcome of the hockey quarterfinal versus Great Britain would be determined by his heroics in the 2024 Olympics, which he has selected as his swansong. He was filled with the excitement of being forced into the spotlight for the first time. Sreejesh, a four-time Olympian, overcame the odds in the penalty shootout to lead India to a 4-2 victory and advance to the semi-finals.
When the hooter sounded at the end of the regulation time, there were smiles all around in the Indian camp, leaving India and Great Britain tied at 1-1. It marked the end of a sustained period of heroic defense by the 10-man Indian team, which is not commonly linked with teams of the past. Since their debut on the world scene in 1928, India has inherited the history of an all-out attack.
Sunday morning was odd. India abandoned their offensive impulses and mastered the art of dogged defense by sticking to a system, essentially playing half-court and falling back to crowd their 25-yard zone. Nonetheless, they were successful in preventing all-out raids from their British opponents. A red card for defender Amit Rohidas early in the second quarter threatened to snuff off the Indian effort, turning this into an unequal struggle – 10 players versus 11 for over 40 minutes.
However, the Indian squad, led by Harmanpreet Singh, rallied fast and went on defense to keep their hopes alive. The smiles in the Indian camp at the end of the regulation time demonstrated that their dreams were not only alive but in Sreejesh’s capable hands. Also, with the last hooter, Britain lost its one-man advantage.
While Sreejesh felt confident in India’s ability to win the shootout, the British players did not appear to be as sure in going up against such a superb custodian. In the last quarter of the match, which was primarily played in the Indian 25-yard zone, British players were frequently seen staring at the enormous clock above the field of play. They were keen to break through India’s defense just once to advance to the semi-finals.
Sreejesh handled the situation admirably, conceding only two goals in four British shootout attempts, while India fired on target on all four occasions to secure victory, prompting celebrations among Indian fans who had flown from all over the world to watch the hockey team. India will meet world champions Germany in the semi-finals on August 6, Tuesday.
