They played like they were paying homage to the old-time hockey legends before they gave themselves an opportunity to make their names in the annals of Indian hockey.
This one will sting. Not so much because India lost as because of the type of hockey they played, which was brilliant at moments, brilliant all the time, but replete with expensive errors. The team captained by Harmanpreet Singh would have felt that they deserved better.
Sadly, it was not meant to be. And four more years were added to the already 44-year wait to make it to the Olympic final. India took an early lead but lost 3-2 to Germany in an exciting Olympic semifinal in Paris.
However, when India plays Spain in the playoff match on Thursday, they will have another chance to finish on the podium and at least tie for the bronze medal in Tokyo.
It was an excruciating instance of coming up painfully short once more for the nucleus of the team that made sure India made it back to the podium for the first time since 1980 (there are 11 of them in Paris). India’s meteoric rise to prominence, which they had believed would take them to their first Olympic final since 1980, has come to an anticlimactic halt.
India had to put in more effort, run more, and use their players more strategically because they had one fewer player (15) than Germany in the playing team. Amit Rohidas, who was suspended, was missed on both ends. He was used as a backup drag-flicker for Harmanpreet and initially rushed in penalty corner defense.
They effectively “out-Germanied” Germany because, as they have repeatedly demonstrated in the past, the world champions are one of the few teams with the discipline and tenacity to overcome such obstacles.
Additionally, this German squad had been playing well. They have scored 19 goals at an average of slightly over 3 per game going into Tuesday’s match; most of those goals came from open play.
India were a sight to behold when they were at their best, even in defeat. With his deft wristwork, Hardik Singh created elaborate patterns on the pitch, hypnotising the German defenders and getting them to dance to his music. This one time, early in the first quarter, he found a way past the defender and managed to get a foot inside the “D.” He dribbled past three defenders to draw another penalty corner a few seconds later. He gave an air punch both times, like he was celebrating a goal.