A photo freeze has the potential to become a timeless treasure. At the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen, when Bichu Devi made a stunning save from a Tomahawk strike by Tessa Howard, Sjoerd Marijne, the Indian head coach, punched the air in sheer delight. A few seconds later, India had held England to a draw and progressed to the next round. Leave aside those last few seconds, but even after a decade, the final moments of India’s crucial World Cup game against England would remain part of the contingent’s evergreen memories.
Bichu, in particular, would remember it for a lifetime. Just a few months earlier, she had done something similar in the dying moments of a semi-final. The location was Hyderabad, with India locking horns with Italy in the Women’s World Cup Qualifiers. With a minute to play, Ivanna Pessina cracked a powerful drag flick, but an alert Bichu saved it. Lola Brea also had two opportunities but couldn’t get past the seemingly impregnable goalkeeper. Somewhere, those gallant saves seem to have boosted Bichu’s confidence to a different level.
Returning to the aforesaid India-England World Cup match, it wasn’t about just one player. It was about how India were able to dig deeper into their reservoirs of willpower. In the last couple of quarters, India were mostly looking to defend in order to eke out a draw. And they performed that task with resilient defending. Salima Tete’s first-rushing efforts during penalty corners were praiseworthy, Sakshi Rana ended up making a save off the line, while veteran Savita Punia showcased her class during her stint as the goalkeeper.
Despite all the positives from the World Cup so far, the Indian side is still a work in progress. In the just-concluded match against England, India missed out on converting three penalty corners in the opening 15 minutes itself. Ishika Chaudhary and Salima couldn’t convert the field-goal opportunities that came their way. However, if you look at the larger picture, the above-mentioned points are just minor drawbacks. Simply put, India have punched above their weight against both China and England. Just remember that India had come into the World Cup having lost four matches in a row to China.
Next up for India is the daunting task of taking on the Netherlands, five-time Olympic and nine-time World champions. For those who have watched the Netherlands women’s hockey team over a few decades, it almost feels as if they have a secret AI machine that can churn out world-beating sides year after year. Even when Argentina had the incomparable Luciana Aymar, the Maradona of women’s hockey, they couldn’t snatch the gold medal away from the Netherlands at the Olympics.
With the likes of Yibbi Jansen, Xan de Waard, Felice Albers, Frédérique Matla and Co. in their ranks, the Dutch will start as the overwhelming favourites. The home side are set to play aggressive, structured and suffocatingly fast-paced hockey. From India’s point of view, they have to make use of every single opportunity that comes their way. Maybe the Indian players can look back at their defining win over the Dutch side at the Kalinga Stadium not too long ago. India didn’t just bounce back from a 0-2 deficit to ensure parity but also emerged victorious in the shoot-out. It is perhaps about removing the first two letters from impossible.
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