A goal-filled first quarter and barren next three may not be the best indicator of the battle on field but the 3-1 win for India against New Zealand for its first win kept the host in the competition and the race to a Paris ticket here on Sunday.
Coach Janneke Schopman had admitted on Saturday her girls had had an off day as a group on the opening day of the Olympic Qualifiers and it would be better today. And so it was, with a different India team turning up, stepping on the pedal from the start to go ahead 40 seconds into the match and keeping the pressure on all through. Salima Tete, nicknamed Ferrari, proved why, running away with the ball and putting fellow Jharkhandi Sangita Kumari through for the lead before the opponent – or the crowd – could even settle down.
India did concede a couple of penalty corners, the second one resulting in an equaliser for New Zealand in the 7th minute but birthday girl Udita’s powerful whack off India’s 4th PC had no answer and two minutes later, Beauty Dung Dung deflected Jyoti’s brilliant pass to make it 3-1.
