India's men's hockey team scripted a memorable comeback victory against Great Britain in the quarterfinals of the Olympic hockey event in Paris on Sunday. Facing an early deficit and playing a man down for a long period, the determined Indians battled hard to level the scores in regular time before prevailing 4-2 in the ensuing shootout.
Great Britain threatened to take an early lead by earning two consecutive penalty corners in the opening minutes. However, the Indian defense led by Amit Rohidas kept them at bay. Both teams created few scoring chances throughout a goalless first quarter.
In the second quarter, the match turned on its head when Rohidas received a red card, reducing India to ten men. Undeterred, India took the lead through Harmanpreet Singh's drag flick from a well-earned penalty corner with less than ten minutes left in the half. But Britain responded quickly to level just before half-time.
The third quarter saw inspired defending from India, with goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh excelling with several saves. Captain Manpreet Singh also put in a stellar effort in central defense in Rohidas' absence. The game remained locked going into the final showdown.
After a grueling battle in the fourth quarter which ended goalless, the teams could not be separated in regular play. In the ensuing shootout, Harmanpreet, Sukhjeet, Lalit and Raj Kumar found the back of the net while the Indians defended superbly to win it 4-2 on penalties.
India will face either Argentina or Germany in the semifinals scheduled for August 6 as they inch closer to securing a maiden Olympic medal in hockey. A heroic performance under testing circumstances showcased this team's fighting spirit and talent on the biggest stage.
