India needed a win to be in the final but that was not to be as Men in Blue were held to a 1-1 draw by England in their third match of 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation – International Tournament in Barcelona on Friday.
Sam Ward gave England an early lead as he scored in the 5th minute , India drew level in the 29th minute through Harmanpreet Singh.
After losing to the hosts Spain and drawing with the Netherlands in their previous matches, India was looking for an elusive win and a spot in the tournament’s Final but this stalemate ended their hope of making the Final .
India will now play in the third-fourth place playoff match on Sunday
India started on a positive note but it was the Brits who got off to a good start, with Sam Ward scoring a stunning goal in only the 5th minute of the game. A tumbling James Oates crossed the ball from the right flank towards the goalpost, which Ward deflected into the post, giving England the lead. Pawan, who was filling in for PR Sreejesh and Krishan Bahadur Pathak in the goalpost, could do little to defend.
Despite the early setback, India showed great tenacity by defending admirably to save two consecutive penalty corners. They launched counter attack, earning a well-deserved PC in the 12th minute but the umpire disallowed Harmanpreet Singh’s conversion for dangerous play.
With England leading by a goal, India came out with a new burst of potent attack in the early minutes of the second quarter, led by Vice Captain Hardik Singh, whose stick work gave fans hope for a goal. However, a goal-mouth scramble ensured that England maintained its lead.
It took India a lot of effort to break through the English defence, and it wasn’t until the 29th minute that India was able to level the score. It was Harmanpreet , yet again leading the charge, as he broke no sweat in converting a brilliant penalty corner (1-1)
With a spot in the Final at stake, both teams lived up to the billing producing some brilliant attacking tactics in the second session that kept the spectators glued.
Having shaken off the early nervousness, young India goalie Pawan who replaced Sreejesh in the third quarter came up with a fine save in the 35th minute when England earned a PC. India too found a couple of chances in the following minutes. But they could not manage to put it past England’s custodian James Mazarelo.
With the score reading 1-1, the final quarter remained tense for India. Another draw would put them out of contention for the Final on Sunday. Desperate to find a breakthrough, India came up with a disciplined attacking structure while Sreejesh came up with some incredible saves to keep the scoreline intact.
India had a good chance to score in the dying minutes when they won a penalty corner. This was after the team had pulled their goalkeeper out for the want of an extra man in their attack. The tactic worked, but India could not convert fit with Mazarelo making a fine save with his foot.