The Indian Women’s Hockey Team made history today by making it to the semi-finals of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics by defeating world number 2 Australia 1-0 at the Oi Stadium.
Although Australia had most of the ball, India scored in the 22nd minute and held on to the lead until the end of the game. Gurjit Kaur scored the only goal of the match from India’s first and only penalty corner in the game, while Australia had 8 penalty corners to their name but could not convert a single one, thanks to a rock-solid defensive performance from the Indian women.
Indian goalkeeper Savita was flawless between the posts, and ensured a 100% save rate, making 2 out of 2 to keep the opposition away from goal. The Indian side used very creative tactics and were resilient in their defensive display to hold on to the lead till the final minute.
The second half saw Australia come out attacking on all fronts. They made a circle penetration right away, but were unable to beat the defense. This carried on for most of the second half, and India did get possession back after intercepting the ball. But they were unable to add to their lead following their first goal of the game.
Both the men’s and women’s teams are now in the semi-finals of the Olympics. The women of India will face world number 5 Argentina on the 4th of August while the men take on Belgium in the penultimate fixture of the competition.
