<p>A win in the opening match of the Olympics after a hiatus of 12 years, notwithstanding, Indian men’s hockey team will have to lift their game by a notch if they want to challenge the might of reigning Olympic champions Germany in their second Pool B match on Monday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>India were made to toil hard by minnows Ireland on Saturday to register a fighting 3-2 win, their first in the sporting extravaganza in 12 years.<br /><br />Going by world rankings, India (5th) were the clear favourites to dominate the match against Ireland (12th). Expectedly, the PR Sreejesh-led side started on a bright note and played to their potential for majority of the match but they handed the initiative to their opponents in the final quarter.<br /><br />While drag-flickers Rupinder Pal Singh (2 goals) and VR Raghunath (1 goal) were bang on target with penalty corners, the forwardline was not upto the mark, missing plenty of scoring chances.<br /><br />Sreejesh was alert as usual in front of the goal, making quite a few saves but the defence, their perennial problem, was found wanting when the Irish put relentless pressure in the final quarter, thereby conceding as many as eight penalty corners.<br /><br />But come Monday, the Indians cannot afford to commit the same mistakes against the Germans, who will be eyeing a hat-trick of Olympic golds having pocketed the yellow metal in the last two Games -- Beijing (2008) and London (2012).<br /><br />India last won a match against Germany in the Olympics way back in the 1996 Atlanta Games where they registered a 3-0 win in the opening match. <br /></p>
<p>A win in the opening match of the Olympics after a hiatus of 12 years, notwithstanding, Indian men’s hockey team will have to lift their game by a notch if they want to challenge the might of reigning Olympic champions Germany in their second Pool B match on Monday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>India were made to toil hard by minnows Ireland on Saturday to register a fighting 3-2 win, their first in the sporting extravaganza in 12 years.<br /><br />Going by world rankings, India (5th) were the clear favourites to dominate the match against Ireland (12th). Expectedly, the PR Sreejesh-led side started on a bright note and played to their potential for majority of the match but they handed the initiative to their opponents in the final quarter.<br /><br />While drag-flickers Rupinder Pal Singh (2 goals) and VR Raghunath (1 goal) were bang on target with penalty corners, the forwardline was not upto the mark, missing plenty of scoring chances.<br /><br />Sreejesh was alert as usual in front of the goal, making quite a few saves but the defence, their perennial problem, was found wanting when the Irish put relentless pressure in the final quarter, thereby conceding as many as eight penalty corners.<br /><br />But come Monday, the Indians cannot afford to commit the same mistakes against the Germans, who will be eyeing a hat-trick of Olympic golds having pocketed the yellow metal in the last two Games -- Beijing (2008) and London (2012).<br /><br />India last won a match against Germany in the Olympics way back in the 1996 Atlanta Games where they registered a 3-0 win in the opening match. <br /></p>