High on confidence after the historic win over Tokyo Games silver medallist Australia in their final pool match, India would look to carry on the momentum and seal a win against Great Britain in the quarterfinals of the men's hockey competition of the Paris Olympics on Sunday. (Medal Table | Schedule & Results | Streaming)
India saved their best for their last Pool B match, stunning Australia 3-2 to record their first win over the Kookaburras in the Olympic Games in 52 years.
By virtue of the win, India finished second in Pool B behind reigning Olympic champions Belgium, while Great Britain ended third in Pool A.
The Indians looked like a completely dominant side against Australia in the first two quarters, controlling the tempo of the match with their relentless attacking play.
The highlight of India's performance against Australia was the coordination between the midfield, led by Manpreet Singh and vice-captain Hardik Singh, and the forward line, where Gurjant Singh and Sukhjeet Singh stole the limelight.
And come Sunday, the Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Indians would look for an encore from the two departments to outwit the world no.2 Great Britain.
Abhishek was the livewire in the forward line, scoring a superb field goal, his second of the tournament, to hand India the lead.
Skipper Harmanpreet Singh once again sparkled for India, scoring a brace, to total six goals in the tournament.
The backline also defended stoutly with Amit Rohidas and Harmanpreet Singh shining bright.
Veteran custodian PR Sreejesh, playing his last international tournament, stood like a wall in front of the goal, making numerous saves, and India would bank on him to deliver the goods once again against Great Britain.
The transition of the ball from defence, midfield to forward line was a treat to watch.
The Indians would look to use aerial passes to great effect against Great Britain, a ploy which yielded rich dividends against Australia, against whom they lost 0-5 in a Test series in Perth just before the Games.
With just two wins away from back-to-back Olympic medals, India's chief coach Craig Fulton has enough reason to instil self-belief among his wards for another good show against Great Britain.
"It was an important match. We needed a match like this before the quarterfinals. From the start, we put them under pressure. It's a proud moment to beat Australia," a proud Harmanpreet said after the Australia match on Friday.
Meanwhile, in other quarterfinals, Belgium will take on Spain, Australia will be up against Netherlands and Germany will face Argentina.
