Sports
Argentina earn dramatic draw at Hockey World League Final
Bhubaneswar, Dec 3 (IANS) Argentina staged a dramatic late fightback to hold Netherlands to a 3-3 draw in a Pool A match of the Hockey World League Final here on Sunday evening.
Thierry Brinkman (12th minute), Valentin Verga (37th) and Mirco Pruijser (55th) scored for the Dutch while Matias Rey (45th), Lucas Vila (50th) and veteran dragflick specialist Gonzalo Peillat (59th) replied for the men from South America.
In the other Pool A match of the day, Belgium rode on a hat-trick from Loïck Luypaert to thrash Spain 5-0.
Luypaert scored off penalty corners in the 38th and 57th minutes and a penalty stroke in the 59th after Florent van Aubel (3rd) had given Belgium an early lead.
The result saw Belgium climb to the top of Pool A with the full six points from two matches. Spain continue to hold on to the second spot with three points thanks to a 3-2 win over Holland in their first match.
Argentina and Holland occupy the last two places in the pool with a single point each.
Argentina had a strong start, repeatedly pushing the Dutch on to the back foot with their lighting quick attacks. They enjoyed the greater share of ball possession in the opening two quarters, forcing Holland to adopt a defensive strategy with the occasional counter-attack.
It were the Dutch however, who took the lead against the run of play towards the end of the first quarter when Thierry Brinkman scored off a pass from Seve van Ass after a fast counter-attack.
Undaunted by the setback, the Argentines dominated the second period as well, but were unable to penetrate the Dutch defence before the half-time hooter.
Verga doubled Holland’s lead a couple of minutes into the second half and the Europeans continued to rely on their well organised defence to take a 2-0 lead into the fourth quarter.
Rey sparked off Argentina’s comeback when he scored off a penalty corner almost immediately after the start of the final period.
Vila sounded the boards off another penalty corner five minutes later to help Argentina draw level for the first time in the match before Pruijser restored Holland’s lead.
However, with just 40 seconds left on the clock, Peillat fired home from a penalty corner to ensure a point for Argentina.
–IANS
ajb/bg
The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.
Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.
Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”
Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.
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