Having demonstrated its determination by overcoming Great Britain in the quarterfinals despite being short-handed, India is now ready to tackle the challenge posed by defender Amit Rohidas' absence as it faces the World Champion Germany in the men's hockey semifinals of the Olympics at the Yves du Manoir Stadium on Tuesday.
Rohidas was banned for one game due to a red card received in the quarterfinals. Hockey India's appeal against this decision was turned down on Monday, making Rohidas ineligible for the crucial semifinal match. India has already had some experience playing without Rohidas, as they managed three quarters without him against Great Britain but his absence might prove crucial.
India Pumped Up
India's defense, which struggled earlier in the pool matches, has improved significantly, passing the Great Britain test with flying colors. They will be keen to maintain this resilience and composure against Germany, who have scored the most goals and won five out of six matches so far.
India defeated Germany in the bronze medal match at the Tokyo Olympics, and while they had a win and a loss against Germany during the FIH Pro League in June, those matches were part of the buildup phase when teams were experimenting. The intensity of the Olympic semifinals is expected to be much higher.
Manpreet performed well as Rohidas' substitute in defense and is likely to take on that role again. However, India will need to manage with one fewer player on the bench, which might affect their rolling substitutions.
The team will focus on maintaining their coordination and safeguarding their goal against a German team that has scored 14 field goals. India, in contrast, has netted eight of its 11 goals from penalty corners or strokes, making drag-flicker Harmanpreet a key player in Rohidas' absence. Rohidas also plays a crucial role as a penalty corner specialist and blocker.
Germany, benefiting from prolific scorers like Christopher Ruhr and Justus Weigand, will aim to continue their strong performance and put India under pressure following their quarterfinal victory over Argentina.
When and Where
The India Vs Germany men's hockey semifinal at Paris Olympics 2024 will be played on Tuesday, Aug 6 at Yves-du-Manoir Stadium.
The India Vs Germany men's hockey semifinal at Paris Olympics 2024 begins at 7 pm (local time), 1pm ET, 6:30pm BST and 10:30pm IST.
How to Watch/ Livestream
United States: The India Vs Germany men's hockey semifinal at Paris Olympics 2024 will be broadcast on Peacock, NBC Sports, Universo while live streaming will be available on Fubo.
United Kingdom: The India Vs Germany men's hockey semifinal at Paris Olympics 2024 will be broadcast on Discovery+, EuroSport Player UK. The India Vs Germany men's hockey semifinal at Paris Olympics 2024 will be available for livestreaming on discovery+ App, EuroSport 2 UK
India: The India Vs Germany men's hockey semifinal at Paris Olympics 2024 will be broadcast on Sports 18 Network, and available for livestreaming on JioCinema app and website for free.
