Indian Hopes of clinching a World Cup title after a long wait of 43 years ended on a sad note as the hosts lost their quarter- final battle of the prestigious tournament to the Netherlands 1- 2 at the Kalinga Stadium on Thursday.
After opening their goal account in the very first quarter of the match, India hinted towards creating a history against their formidable opponent. The Netherlands, however, played a better hockey on the day and deservingly sealed a semis spot for themselves.
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The match started on a scrappy note with both the teams taking turns to possess the ball. The opening goal from India’s Akashdeep Singh’s stick in the 12th minute of the match put the hosts in lead. The Netherlands, making a string comeback, did not take much time to score an equalizer. In the 16th minute of the first quarter, Dutch player Thierry Brinkman deflected a shot from outside the circle to make it 1-1 against India.
After the action- packed first quarter, the second quarter was relatively calmer. The shots and passes, however, were more sharp and crisp. At half- time, both the teams remained at 1-1.
India and Netherlands, who were now in the third quarter, tried to carve out more chances as a lead here would have put them in the driving seat. But after 45 minutes into the match, score figures remained the same.
The turning point of the match and the Dutch players were ensuring that they are in possession of the ball. After the final hooter, the scoreline read 2-1 in the Netherlands’ favour.
(ANI)