We’re still haunted by loss to Aussies

By the end of the pool matches, the emotions had ebbed. More than that opening defeat against the Netherlands, I think it was the shock of losing to Australia that reversed the momentum.

Those final 30 seconds in the Australia game, when they scored the winning goal even as we had mentally prepared ourselves for a draw and for one point, have haunted the team ever since.

In a sense, that half-minute period was the turning point of the tournament. We were never the same team, psychologically if not physically.

Anyhow, there’s still a job to be done. The match against Pakistan may not decide a medal but it is going to be the focus of attention back home. Pakistan has played well in this tournament, but the match against India is going to be a different ball game. Like all such encounters, it will depend less on strategy and more on sentiment. The team that controls its nerves will win.

In any sport, on any field, an India-Pakistan clash brings an exhilaration of its own. There are the individualised battles — Sachin Tendulkar versus Shoaib Akhtar on the cricket pitch; Dhanraj Pillay versus Sohail Abbas at the hockey ground.

The India-Pakistan match this evening is going to be one of those Olympian atmosphere moments. The tickets have been sold out. Both teams have played to strong support from migrant communities here – now the crowd will be back for the Big One. To think it’s only a battle for fifth place!