Paris Olympics, hockey: India show sparks but fuse out in key moments in defeat to world champions Germany
Craig Fulton expected a strong Germany outfit, resembling something close to their Olympic squad. He got one. But if the India coach hoped his players would raise their game and match the world champions, he didn’t get that.
Fulton’s India, throughout this tour, have shown sparks of brilliance. But in the true schizophrenic nature of this Indian hockey team, they also seem to fuse out during key moments. Saturday wasn’t different.
Continuing their irresistible-occasionally-frustrating-sometimes run of form, India were outplayed in the first and third quarters but in the second and fourth, they took the fight to Germany with high, aggressive pressing. Individual errors and lack of quality in the final third, however, meant they succumbed a 3-2 loss in the FIH Pro League in London.
There ...