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Australia thrash India 5-2
Eng spray goals on SA
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Pak strain Spain
Shivendra’s ban reduced to two matches
World Cup Diary
Sachin roots for Rajpal &Co
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Australia thrash India 5-2
For Australia it was their first win in two games and brought them at par with India on points table while England after handing out a 6-4 drubbing to South Africa continued at the top of the table with maximum of six points from two games. Wins for Australia and Pakistan also have thrown open the pool B with Spain and India failing to add to their first days’ points tally today. The Australians even after conceding a goal in the last few seconds of the first half had taken a commanding 3-1 lead in a game that had almost filled the stadium with an enthusiastic crowd expecting a repeat performance from their home heroes. But it was not to be. Indians never looked in the game that had stunning Australians in the command right from the hit off.
Neither the game plan nor the plan were going India’s way from the start as even in the seventh minute when the Australians asked for a video referral of a penalty corner follow up that umpire had blown for a free hit, it was changed to a penalty corner from which Glenn Turner made no mistake. With two goals in first seven minutes, Australians had their tales up as Indians were making desperate attempts to stay in the game by withstanding unending onslaughts. Only bright spot in the Indian camp was Sardar Singh who weathered reverses and helped his team to put up a semblance of fight. His interceptions, passes and moves were well executed. India initially built all its attack from the left while the right flank was virtually non-functional. It was left half Gurbaj Singh, who after running down the flank sent a sitter across the Australian goalmouth that Vikram Pillay intercepted and rightly flung the ball into the roof of the net for India’s only goal in the first half. Other Indian scorer skipper Rajpal Singh who made no mistake with a back pass from goal line by Arjun Halappa late in the second half following India’s last penalty corner of the game. Even Sandeep Singh was totally off-color. For Australia Liam De Young, Glenn Turner (two), Desmond Abbot and Like Doerner were the scorers. In fact, in the first half, Australians had packed too many surprises for the home team, giving them a few lessons in modern day scientific hockey. The Aussies not only mesmerised Indian forward line but had the defence jittery with their rampant penetrating moves they built from flanks and wove them into the striking circle with tremendous ease. Team India of the first day was nowhere. Instead, it looked as a bunch of nervous wrecks were playing the masters of the game. The difference was obvious as the home team was tottering to avoid a hammering. If it ended with a 2-5 defeat, it was because the Aussies muffed a penalty stroke, minutes before the final whistle.
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Eng spray goals on SA
But it was a hard-fought win as South Africa kept the European Champions on their toes till the final hooter though England have emerged as the team to be watched, particularly after their stunning 3-2 victory against favourites Australia on the opening day. As they had done against Spain yesterday, South Africa took the lead in this match too, but England packed a punch too many when it came to scoring with their penalty corner specialist Richard Mantel, who accounted for two of the goals. Marwin Harper put South Africa in the lead and also accounted for the third goal. England then fought back to hit home through Richard Mantel, whose drag-flicks off penalty corners got them their first and sixth goals. Interestingly, both Harper and Mantell wore jerseys bearing No 6, and both ended up scoring a brace each. Rob Moore, Ashley Jackson, Nick Catlin and Iain Mackay were the other England scorers. Lloyd Norris-Jones and Thornton Mcdade were the other South African markesmen. England seemed to warm up late, but South Africa matched them almost move for move, goal for goal, with their speedy, thrusty winger Lloyd displaying amazing dribbling skills to scythe through the England defence and his crosses always proved lethal. South Africa scored first off one such lethal move when Harper connected a cross from the left by Lloyd. That was in the ninth minute, and though England were taken off guard, they looked unflappable, and equalised four minutes later when the tall, big-built Richard Mantel displayed a smooth ability to drag-flick the ball in off their first penalty corner. England then took the lead when Rob Moore trapped the ball off a free hit, dribbled in to put it in with a hard whack. Then it was the turn of South Africa to turn the table on England as Norris-Jones put on a show with his searing wing play to take the ball all the way down, and then played a reverse flick, which went in. With the scores tied 2-2 at half time, England returned to the field with recharged energy to knock in four goals in the space of 19 minutes. For the first 22 minutes, England played like a team possessed, pinning South Africa to their own half. England took the lead two minutes into the second session when captain Barry Middleton took the ball down the left wing, but his shot was padded away by South African goalie Erasmus Pieterse. Ashley Jackson, lurking in the goal area, pounced on the rebound to despatch it goal-ward. Thereafter, England were on a roll, dominating the play for the next 25 minutes.They relaxed a bit after taking a 5-3 lead, and South Africa seized the moment to make a few counter attacks, which fetched them two more goals. Though Mantell was on the mark with the second penalty corner too, the next three went abegging. England are now sitting pretty after scoring two authentic wins,though South Africa can indeed turn out to be the spoil sport for other teams in the group, including hosts India.
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Pak strain Spain
The match, fought fiercely, had not only several decisions of umpires challenged through video referrals but also witnessed a virtual self goal by Spain though the official scorecard credited the goal to Rehan Butt. And the deciding goal was masterminded by the powerful drag flick of the mercurial Sohail Abbas but not before Haseem Abdul Khan gently deflected it in. Incidentally, this was the only penalty corner won by Pakistan against six by their opponents. In fact, it was a do or die game for Pakistan. Leaving nothing to chance, Pakistan mounted pressure from hit in. It was Rehan Butt who fumbled with initial chances. But it was not his day again. Though Pakistan defence put up a much better display than what it did against India yet it had at times started wilting under tremendous pressure of their opponents. Spain, that had staged a marvelous recovery in the second half against South Africa in the first game, could not repeat that performance today. Rather, their forwards were jittery and lacked precision and coordination. An evidence of Spaniards defence wilting under pressure defence came in the 29th minute. Abdul Haseem Khan had packed a shot across the goalmouth for Rehan Butt to deflect it in. But before the ball could reach him, Xavier Ribas did the job that was expected of Rehan Butt. Rehan, however, had the final touch as the ball sailed into the net. The official result sheet, however, credited the goal to Haseem Khan. This was the goal with which Pakistan led when the teams broke for lemon beak. The second half saw the Europeans swarming all over there opponents territory. A series of penalty corners saw both Pau Quamada and Xavier Ribas failing to utilize any. However, following their fifth and last penalty corner, David Allege managed to push the ball home from a melee that saw ball changing hits several times after Xavier Ribas had taken the shot. And with just three minutes to go, Sohail helped Pakistan to earn its first three points of the tournament
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Shivendra’s ban reduced to two matches
New Delhi, March 2 The three-man Appeal Jury headed by Antonio von Ondraza, FIH-appointed observer for Hockey India election, which reviewed Shivendra’s case overruled tournament director Ken Read’s decision that the Indian striker deliberately injured a Pakistani opponent in a hockey World Cup match here. Read had ruled yesterday that Shivendra’s action of lifting his hockey stick which injured Pakistani player Fareed Ahmed was a deliberate act and a level two offence and deserved more than a minimum penalty of two matches. The Jury, although partly upholding the decision of Read, reduced the ban to two-match on Shivendra, which means he will miss India’s match against Australia today and against Spain on Thursday. — PTI
Yesterday’s matches
New Zealand applied the knock out punch four minutes before the final hooter to smother the challenge of Canada 3-2 in the Group A match on Wednesday. The Canadians played with such flair and panache that the Kiwis were left gasping for a while as Canada took the lead just seconds into the match as Mark Pearson’s sweep was bang on mark off their very first move. Canada: Mark Pearson, Philip Wright. NZ: Priyesh Bhana, Nicholas Haig, Ryan Archibald. — MSU Netherlands outplay Argentina
Riding on Taeke Taekema’s hat-trick of goals, which was tournament’s first hat-trick too, Netherlands outplayed Argentina comprehensively. It may be a mere coincidence that Netherlands earned only three penalty corners and he made no mistake with any of the awards. The Netherlands won by a convincing 3-0 margin. Taekema scored in the 13th, 33rd and 61st minute. Germany share points with Korea
Koreans squandered 2-0 first half lead to split points with their more fancied opponents and pre-tournament favourites Germany, but they succeeded in proving they were no less than anyone else in this mega event. The German-Korean match started with a war of penalty corners with four penalty corners coming in first 10 minutes, three of them in three minutes of the game. Germans forced two in the first minute without being able to use any. Korea: Hye Sung Hyum, Nam Yong Lee Germany: Moritz Furste, Wess Benjamin.
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World Cup Diary
While hardcore hockey spectators struggle to get tickets from the publicised ticket counters of a nationalised bank, a chain of coffee shops and a few other centres, there appears to be a free flow of tickets inside the historic Major Dhyan Chand National Hockey Stadium. Some influential members of the Indian Olympic Association as well as Hockey India have been making a frantic effort to win back those who felt slighted by their earlier total “indifferent attitude”.
Intriguingly, a fairly large number of Olympians and internationals, including some national awardees, can be seen watching the games from the 100-rupee stands. Some of these players, including former national coach Sukhvir Grewal, and several national stars, including Syed Ali, Jagdeep Singh Gill, Arvind Chhabra and Aslam Sher Khan, preferred not to run after those in control of either the IOA or Hockey India for invites to watch matches. Instead they bought tickets of Rs 100 each. Even some of the great friends of Indian hockey overseas are provided tickets by Sukhvir Grewal and group. Sukhvir Grewal and Director of Punjab Sports Department have brought a group of their young trainees and some coaches to watch the World Cup games. They have been provided accommodation at a nearby place of worship. Grewal is also organising for these youngsters and coaches one-day interaction with former national coach of both the US and Canada, Shiv Jagday, so that they can understand minute intricacies, strategies and game plans of different teams playing here. Jagday, who comes from Ludhiana, is now Consultant to Field Hockey Canada. Joginder Singh, doctor from Germany, who has been voluntarily accompanying Indian hockey team on its overseas assignments for more than three decades, had finally got his due. He and his family got special invite from the organisers of the World Cup thanks to the IOA secretary-general Randhir Singh. On Monday when the nation was celebrating Holi, New Zealand and Canada, only teams to have Indian expatriates, played the first game. While New Zealand has Priyesh Bhana, who scored the first goal for his team, and Arun Panchia, in its team, Canada has Ranjeev Deol and Sukhwinder Singh Gabbar. The coach of the Canadian team, Shiaz Virjee, is also of Indian origin. Incidentally, one of the umpires for this game was Chandigarh’s Satinder Sharma who in the last World Cup Qualifying Tournament got the golden whistle. Also on the Judges Table for this game was Indian Moghul Mohamed Muneer. Only other person of Indian origin playing for team other than India is Balwanth Shanyl of South Africa. |
Mumbai, March 2 After his historic knock of unbeaten 200 in the Gwalior ODI against South Africa, former England captain Nasser Hussain and a few others had described Tendulkar as the greatest batsman in the history of the game, even better than the iconic Bradman. Tendulkar, however, refused to be drawn into a comparison. “I never believed in comparisons. I respect every individual off the field too and it’s not about only Sir Don. I respect them all. I’m happy to play for the country and am particularly happy when I do well and the team wins.” That historic knock also prompted former India captains Ajit Wadekar, Kapil Dev and Dilp Vengsarkar to demand the coveted ‘Bharat Ratna’ for the batting genius . “It’s a rare honour and whosoever have got it are not only my heroes but the heroes of the entire country. Who would not like to join that list, but my focus is on cricket.” Tendulkar was delighted at the Indian hockey team’s superb 4-1 victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in the ongoing World Cup in New Delhi and he offered his full support to the team. “I also watched the match. It was an exciting match and the Indian team did very well. In the closing stages like everyone else I was also very tense. I’m very happy the team won.” Tendulkar wished the the team well for the remainder of the tournament and promised them full support. “On every Indian’s behalf, I would say that we are always with you. Performance keeps fluctuating but our support for them remains consistent.” “In fact, the support should be stronger in times when the team is going through tough phases. We will support them during that time,” he said. “I’m not a hockey expert but will always support the team. My good wishes are always with them whether they perform or fail to live upto expectations,” Tendulkar said. — PTI
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New Delhi, March 2
New Delhi, March 2
Unable to recover from the initial hammering, including a goal they conceded to Liam De Young, Indians, unable to comprehend what was going around, quickly lost the rhythm of their game. Though, at times they looked like coming back in the game but Aussies were unrelenting.
