Mumbai: The cross came in from the right. Navneet Kaur, the intended target, got her stick to it, but the trap was heavy. The ball went to her backhand side and rolled invitingly into an empty area in Australia’s shooting circle. There was a clear shot from that position with no defender in the way.
This was early in the fourth quarter of the women’s FIH World Cup second group game against Australia. India needed a win and Australia a draw to move into the semi-final. And then came the moment that decided the match.
Navneet, a reliable goal-scorer for India, was the one everyone thought would go for the hit. But the ball rolled closer to Lalremsiami, who was backpedalling to give her senior teammate more room for the shot. Neither went for it.
When it was expected of the team to build on the momentum in Japan, a period of transition and infighting led to the failed qualification campaign for the 2024 Paris Olympics. This came after the 2023 Asian Games, where India finished with bronze. They won the Nations Cup to secure a spot in the 2026-27 Pro League season. That renewed bonding was evident from their first match against China where they held the Paris Games silver medallists 2-2.
“It’s the way it is at the moment. Normally you want to enjoy longer from an historical achievement like this, but we need to move on. That crest in Tokyo, however, was followed by a deep trough. Then there was the relegation from the top-tier FIH Pro League. However, from June, there has been another upward shift in form. And followed it up with the commendable performance at the World Cup when few had expected the team to stand up in the global competition. Indeed, they played for each other in the squad, which is now a blend of experience and youth. The forward line though that was found wanting at the World Cup. India showed they could defend well, but for all the chances created, the finishing touch was missing.
“(It was) straight to business,” women’s team head coach Sjoerd Marijne told HT.
