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Indian hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh was critical of the hosts' 4-2 win against Wales and stated that the team did not perform to its full potential while addressing the media after their second-place finish in Pool D on Thursday.
The drag-flicker confessed that the team did provide scoring opportunities to Wales which they made full use of, scoring two quick goals in the third quarter to tie the game. "This was not our best performance we could have done better. Just like the coach said that we need to focus on the game and be patient. Keep the speed up and the goal will come. Our focus is on finishing. Result-wise we have won and as the coach said not to take the scoring pressure. We were giving them some chances and in the next match, we would like to work on it," mentioned Harmanpreet. Hockey coach Graham Reid was wary of the threat New Zealand posed to the hosts, having faced them earlier in the Hockey Pro League and stated that the road ahead for the host will not be easy. "We played well we knew we have to beat Wales by a considerable margin but I told the boys that we should not worry about the scoreline. The road ahead is tougher now as we play New Zealand in a cross-over match. They played well against us in Pro League in this venue and they come out with a lot of energy like Wales did. Hardik's recovery is okay," said the head coach. India beat Wales 4-2 to finish in second place in Pool D at the Kalinga stadium on Thursday and will now play a cross-over match to book a berth for a place in the quarterfinals. The hosts gained the upper hand in the second half with goals from Shamsher and Akashdeep but a lapse in defence saw the Welsh team tie the game. Akashdeep rallied past the Wales defenders to give India the lead again in the final quarter. Harmanprret Singh found the back of the net in the last minute to secure a 4-2 win. India had a tall task ahead of them as they needed to triumph by 8 goals to leapfrog England in the standings of Pool D if they were to advance straight to the quarterfinals without having to go through the crossovers. Wales, though, proved they weren't pushovers and played brilliantly in the first half, fending off India until the 22nd minute. After Harmanpreet's attempted the Wale's first rusher blocked drag flick, Shamsher ultimately put India ahead with a thunderous hit on the rebound. India would only score one goal in the first half, diminishing the hosts' chances of topping the group. The first goal of the second half came from India, converted by Akashdeep, early in the third quarter.However, as India sought out additional goals, Wales had a chance to launch their own counterattacks, and as the third quarter came to a conclusion, Wales breached the Indian defence successfully twice to shock the audience and tie the game going into the last 15 minutes. The Indian audience came to life at the beginning of the fourth quarter after Akashdeep added a second spectacular goal to restore India's lead. In the last minute of play, Indian captain Harmanpreet scored his first goal of the tournament after India won a penalty corner as Wales substituted an outfield player for their goalkeeper, which proved to be pivotal as the hosts secured a 4-2 victory. India's second-place finish in Pool D was confirmed by the result, and they will now play New Zealand, who came third in Pool C, in the crossovers for a place in the quarterfinals. Akashdeep Singh was awarded player of the match for his two stunning goals. "We weren't very good in the first half in terms of executing our plans, but the second half was better. Thank you to all the fans who turned up and please keep supporting us just like this," expressed the Indian player. (ANI)
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