India field hockey back on the rise, slowly but surely

Giselle Ansley’s drag flick found the back of the India net and two minutes later Nicola White doubled the British lead to go 2-0 up at the halfway mark. “Great Britain will be a tough competition for us, she added”.

After a cautious first quarter, the English women, who were bronze medallists in London 2012 Games, unleashed their fury by scoring within two minutes in the second quarter.

After weathering India’s onslaught for the majority of the game, the Germans exerted tremendous pressure on the Indian defence in the final few minutes. Britain attacked with regularity and intruded the Indian circle with using both the flanks to the maximum. Nevertheless, the result will go a long way to give India a confidence booster shot going into the next match.

Britain managed to find two goals within a space of just three minutes. India got two back-to-back penalty corners in the fourth quarter but failed to convert them. It was by forcing yet another penalty corner that led India’s ever-watchful-for-an-advantage Lilima Minz to score a goal and that too from a rebound. “It was the first time this team was ever playing Great Britain and there was a lot that we learnt from that tour”, Hawgood stated.

Goalkeeper Savita made a brilliant diving save in the final second of the third quarter to deny Yuri Nagai and keep India alive in the match.

Alex Danson hammered in the third, following good work from Lily Owsley, as Britain followed up the opening win against Australia. In Pool A action, Germany beat New Zealand 2-1, while defending champions the Netherlands thrashed South Korea 4-0, thanks to a hat-trick from Kelly Jonker.