On a day of exciting and pulsating hockey a goalless draw was a befitting tribute to both the hosts India and England as they had spectators in a packed Birsa Munda Stadium on the edge of their seats in a game of endless missed chances.
The draw may be a little setback for the home team in its plan for a direct entry to quarter finals. It would now need a big win against Wales in its last game. England stays at the top of the table with four points but a better goal average than India that too have four points from two games. All the four group D teams now move to Bhubaneswar for their last pool matches.
England was a dominant side in the first quarter, before the home team came back strongly as it matched its rivals in every department of the game. In patches of excellent display of vintage hockey, India looked well in a grip of a win but English players refused to crack under pressure.
It was a contest of fluctuating fortunes as both sides with tight marking, good rotation of the ball took good measure of each other to dish out a game that had the packed stadium entertained for a full 60 minutes.
England started as if they had come prepared to give the home team a lesson in finer points of the game. In the first 21 minutes, England forced as many as seven penalty corners that saw its battery of drag flickers fail to break the strong Indian defence that had former Indian skipper and midfielder Manpreet Singh standing like a rock. His runs nullified all English attempts at Indian goal.
Though India had its first penalty corner in the 13th minute and second in the 24th minute but on both occasions, there were fumbles – first by skipper Harmanpreet and second time by local hero Amit Rohidas.
Packed with thrilling moments as the ball moved from end to end, but without producing the most sought after goal. Interestingly, the number of shots ending wide
of the targets were the same for both the teams.If Mandeep, Hardik and Akashdeep played their hearts out for India in the front line, England had its playmakers in Sam Ward, Zachary Wallace, and Roper Phil.
There were some tense moments also when a penalty corner awarded to India was changed after England went for Video Referral. Two minutes before the final whistle another Video Referral by England demanding a penalty corner was turned down. Seconds before the final whistle, England did earn a penalty corner, its eighth, but like previous seven ones, it proved non productive.
Just before the third quarter ended, Mandeep had a good chance but his shot went wide. Another good chance for India came in the 38th minute when Hardik Singh, who had yet another outstanding performance, almost scored but for the final shot going astray. Two minutes before the final whistle. Hardik had a painful collision and had to be escorted out of the playfield. Oliver Payne of England was adjudged Man of the Match.
Earlier, Spain defeated Wales 5-1 for its first win to stay in hunt for a quarter-final berth from the group. Wales had the consolation of scoring its first goal after conceding a 4-0 lead. Marc Miralles, who was adjudged man of the match, scored third and fifth goals for his team while Marc Ryne scored the first and fourth goal in the 17th and 39th minutes while Skipper Alvaro Iglesias chipped in with the second goal in the 23rd minute. James Carson was the lone scorer for Wales in the 53rd minute.
Prabhjot Singh