CWG 2022 Hockey: From scintillating to sorry, India's story of two halves vs England

The home crowd bobbed anytime an English stick tapped the ball forward. But for most part of the first two quarters, those taps followed odd retrieves after an Indian attack. The Indian supporters, outnumbered and out-cheered in the stands by their English counterparts, sat still for a change -- numbed by a sense of nostalgia unfolding on the pitch. If Harmanpreet's odd run and body dodge in England's half reminded hockey fans of Pargat Singh, Nilakanta's pass to cut the defence in half brought back memories of Prabhjot. And Mandeep's finishing touch completed that famous trio of the past, with Gagan Ajit Singh and Deepak Thakur rolled into one. Three goals in the first 22 minutes was a harsh lesson for England to stomach. This, after all, was the 'match of Pool B' -- expected to decide who finishes on top and faces the No. 2 team in Pool A in the semis. But this script certainly wasn't what both India and England would have had in mind before the game began. Modern hockey is a strange game, and can change within seconds. This one did, too. Despite leading 4-1, India were held to a 4-4 draw by the English.

Taking nothing away from England's comeback, the manner in which the game turned on its head and the reasons behind it is what top players in top teams always strive to ensure they avoid. DECODING ENGLAND'S COMEBACKWhen Mandeep scored his second goal in the 22nd minute, India were playing with 10 men. Defender Varun Kumar had been shown a yellow card in the 19th minute for a five-minute suspension. But India held firm, Varun returned to the pitch and at half-time, down 0-3, England were staring at a mauling. But what that one-man advantage for five minutes before the half-time hooter did was that it allowed England to