Hockey: India makes a stunning comeback to defeat the Netherlands.
Araijeet Singh Hundal picked up a hockey stick by fate. Flair was the one who got him on the junior Indian squad. and skill that, in a well-known victory, made him a star.
The 19-year-old forward, who stands 6-foot-3-inch tall and was born into a hockey-playing family, was the creator and the creator of India’s comeback in an exciting Junior World Cup quarterfinal. India defeated the Netherlands 4-3 and advanced to play Germany in the semifinals on Thursday.
It will be a rematch of the semifinal from the previous edition, which Germany won 4-2. While India entered that match two years ago fresh off a close victory over Belgium, they will be fired up for Thursday’s match after an exciting quarterfinal that featured numerous game-winning performances.
Hundal’s valiant efforts in the attacking third set the tone. India was entirely flat up until that point. Low on energy, reacting late, second to most balls and defensive in their mindset. They gave in to pressure from the Netherlands and let two goals in from softly given penalty corners.
With his movement off the ball, running, and power hitting, Hundal gave the team the energy that coach CR Kumar had called for in the second half. A few minutes into the third quarter, the forward dribbled his way to the basket, kissing the left baseline to create space for Aditya Lalage to tap in. A minute later, after the Dutch were penalised for a defensive infraction, Hundal scored from the penalty spot.
However, Hundal wasn’t the only star player. On the pitch, India had heroes everywhere they looked. Goalie Mohith Shashikumar made a string of incredible saves in the first two quarters to prevent the Netherlands from winning the tie.
Then there was Rohit, the man who charges towards the attacker while defending penalty corners, a defender-turned-drag-flicker who made an impression as the first-rusher. In the last minute and a half, the Netherlands won seven penalty corners in an attempt to tie the score and force a shootout. Rohit’s courageous blocking, where he put his body in the line to stop the ball from going past him, usually prevented them from scoring.
Of course, there was also the brilliance and bravery of forward Uttam Singh and midfielder Vishnukant Singh, who worked together to score the game-winning goal. The pair, who were instrumental in India’s offensive play that turned the tide in the second half, outwitted the Dutch players with a penalty corner routine that had never been executed successfully by an Indian team on a global platform.
When India won a penalty corner with three minutes remaining and the score tied at three points, Amandeep Lakra, as usual, stood on top of the “D” to trap Vishnukant’s injection, and Rohit lurked around to take the drag-flick. Given that Rohit had already scored a few goals from penalty corners, the Dutch defenders were focused on preventing him from taking any more angles.
In the midst of all of this, Uttam stood motionless at a 45-degree angle on the ‘D’ curve. Like every other player stationed there during PCs, his job was to charge in and grab whatever rebound there was. Therefore, it was not shocking that Uttam’s presence was mainly ignored.
Therefore, you can only imagine how terrified the Dutch defence was when Vishnukant deftly rolled the ball in the direction of his captain. The defenders, expecting to rush directly at Rohit, were forced to abruptly alter their course and run in a different direction. The custodian found himself caught off guard and disoriented, as his job was to cover the right side of the goal in order to prevent a potential straight shot.
Uttam had plenty of time to stop the ball, roll it forward, and slap it in the direction of the goal as a result. And he executed it perfectly, launching a strong blow that penetrated the defence and found its way into the far corner.
It was the type of variation that, in an unfortunate event, might have looked ridiculous. However, in a crucial knockout match scenario, the two “seniors” of the junior team maintained their composure to give India the lead for the first time.
India clung to life for the final three minutes as the Netherlands substituted a custodian, added an additional attacker, and applied tremendous pressure to the Indian defence. Even though there were a lot of penalty corners in the last few minutes, the defence, which had appeared uneasy in the first two quarters, held firm. A few players on the pitch went to their knees as the final hooter blew, and the dugout erupted in joy.
It was a victory wrested from the jaws of loss. A victory that locks up the 2016 junior world champions for a third consecutive semifinal appearance.
