India down France in opener

Le Touquet (France), Aug 3

The Indian hockey team, it seems, has moved on pretty quickly after the sudden and controversial exit of Paul van Ass, their head coach.

Playing their first match after his exit, India blanked France 2-0 in the first match of their European tour here today. Chinglensana Singh and SV Sunil sounded the board to help India dominate the hosts in the first of their two-match series.

Both the teams started off on an attacking note, looking to draw the first blood. After a series of attacks from both the sides, India's midfielder Chinglensana Singh sneaked into the French half and sounded the board in the 18th minute.

Having taken an early lead, the visitors took control of the match and put the hosts under tremendous pressure. In the second quarter, the Indians hit the field looking even more confident. Led by captain Sardar Singh, midfielders SK Uthappa, Danish Mujtaba and Devinder Walmiki did well to keep the attacks coming. The forwards, SV Sunil, Ramandeep Singh and Akashdeep Singh, kept the French defence on its toes. In the midst continuous attacks, Sunil dribbled past the French defenders and sent the ball into the net in the 26th minute, giving India a 2-0 lead. 

In the third quarter, France stepped up the pace and surprised the visiting team with their quick passes. They attacked the Indian citadel every now and then, putting enormous pressure on the defenders. On a few occasions, they came close to scoring but the Indian defenders stood firm, denying them any opportunity.

In the fourth quarter,  France earned two back-to-back penalty corners but Sreejesh again foiled both the attempts. — TNS