Miracle on turf: in a corner of Paris field, Indian hockey rises from beyond
PARIS: Alfred Tennyson's words aptly surmise the emotional high of the men's hockey team.
The English poet's words "... someone had blundered, Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die, Into the valley of Death, Rode the 10 men..."
It is the Olympics. If India’s 3-2 win against Australia was historic, what they did on the blue turf at Yves du Manoir on Sunday was more than just a miracle. It belongs in the realm of fantasy. It's now their best chance to upgrade the bronze they had won in Tokyo. If they do that, they can keep the romance of hockey alive.
The miracle did not come easy. Two minutes into the second quarter against Great Britain, India were down to ten after Amit Rohidas was sent off for a high stick. In modern-day hockey, it's almost unthinkable to play 10 v. 11 in an elite setting like the Olympics for almost three-quarters of the match.
But India’s nine outfielders and PR Sreejesh did the improbable as they held their own till the shoot-out.
By the time the shoot-out began, GB looked shattered. India were buoyant. Their body language was positive. The entire Indian team yelled and jumped in celebration after Rajkumar Pal found the net, the fourth Indian to do so. Just before this moment, Sreejesh had saved from Phil Roper, the second Great Britain player to miss in the shoot-out.
From coach Craig Fulton to every single player, they all ran towards the man who stood behind India and defeat. Sreejesh. Though exhausted, they still had enough fuel in their bodies to huddle and celebrate. Their stoic resilience enacted one of the greatest escapes in Olympic history.
Surely, sporting successes are not made on the field alone. It begins elsewhere. Over the last decade or so, the team emphasised on fitness. It starts with training sessions, intense discussions during team meetings, video analysis and could also involve walking up the Alps. And sessions with motivational speakers too.
Just before the Olympics, the three-day team bonding session in Switzerland also saw the side have a spell with Mike Horn, a motivational coach who has worked with the Indian cricket team, the Germany men's football team as well as Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
They had also done this before the Asian Games where they won gold. Mental pressure is immense; at the Olympics, games are often won in the heads.
No wonder coach Fulton called this a “not just a statement, a real statement” after the match in the mixed zone. The South African, known for his defensive acumen, would never have thought it would be his potent weapon on Sunday, not even in his wildest dreams. “First we scored, we needed something to defend; something to play for and defend as long as we can,” said Fulton.
India scored five minutes later via Harmanpreet Singh but GB equalised five minutes later. Perhaps India needed this to let the adrenaline kick in. Until then, GB were having more of the ball. Fulton acknowledged that this was the toughest 60 minutes in his career. “Everything was at stake,” he said.
Sreejesh, the central character of the shootout, played another stellar role. The 36-year-old made saves look effortless. “Shootout is normal for a goalkeeper. We train a lot. Second thing is that just kill the time. When you kill the time, the pressure goes to the opposition and they try something wrong.
Simultaneously, you also need support from your players as well. My men scored four goals. That gives me confidence and takes away pressure from me.” Sreejesh was pointing towards a name etched on his hockey stick. Aneeshya, his wife.
However, it wasn't just Sreejesh. While he was inspirational, the people in front of him executed the rejigged plan to perfection in a famous backs-to-the-wall display.
Harmanpreet Singh, who was playing high up the field, had to retreat to the defence. “We keep doing this in practice,” he said. “What kind of tactic we have to follow if we have a yellow card or a green card. Today, it was unexpected and no one ever imagined that we would get a red card but then we had to make a comeback. We have five defenders so I had to come back and help.”
India had deployed a very healthy strategy too. Not allow the GB team to get into the D and take clear shots. And that worked well enough on Sunday. If they can maintain this discipline, they can start dreaming of a first final at the Summer Games in 44 years.
