Paris: India lived dangerously before a penultimate-minute stroke of luck enabled skipper Harmanpreet Singh to score the 3-2 match-winner with a penalty stroke to launch their 2024 Olympic Games hockey campaign.

Tied 2-2 and displaying nerves galore, India’s last-gasp raids earned them two penalty corners in the 59th minute of play that saw skipper Harmanpreet’s drag-flicks rattle the usually composed custodian Dominic Dixon. The rasping last penalty corner induced an error as the ball deflected from Dixon’s chest-pad to the body of defender Simon Child standing to his left and the umpire pointed to the dreaded penalty spot.

Harmanpreet duly converted the penalty stroke with his low shot sounding the boards to spark celebrations among the Indian fans packing the galleries.

Just seconds earlier, another penalty stroke was awarded to India on the previous penalty corner when the goalkeeper stepped on the ball as striker Mandeep Singh rushed in to pick the rebound, but the umpire changed his decision and signalled for another penalty corner that led to the Indian match-winner.

India were seeking revenge for the loss to New Zealand that denied them a quarter-final place in the 2023 World Cup on home turf and took some sheen off their bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics. The two sides had not met since then. India’s higher world ranking did not seem to bother the Black Sticks, who played a tactical waiting game to launch counter attacks.

Indian defence betrayed a lot of nerves in their defence of penalty corners, allowing the New Zealanders to exert the pressure and force 10 penalty corners in all. Twice they managed to shoot past seasoned goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh and rattle the Indians, who are ranked a couple of spots above them.

India began the proceedings on a brisk note, thrice reaching the top of the circle within two minutes of play, but the packed Black Sticks circle denied them a foray into the scoring zone. It was New Zealand who surged into the initial lead in the eighth minute of play as Sam Lane placed a low drag-flick into the left corner of the boards. Ironically, his shot went through the outstretched foot of Sreejesh.

Soon after the New Zealanders had another shy at the Indian citadel before the India strikers showed composure to bounce back into the contest with the 1-1 equaliser coming through Mandeep, who picked the ball from near the goalkeeper’s feet and flicked in after Harmanpreet’s drag-flicked penalty corner got blocked in the 24th minute.

India moved up four minutes into the second half when a goalmouth scrimmage saw four tries being blocked before Sumit’s flick narrowly crossed the goalline even as a defender cleared it. The umpire blew for the goal, but sought to confirm it with a video referral. The video umpire went through the recording multiple times before confirming India’s 2-1 lead.

The Indian defenders nearly wasted the effort within minutes as four mistakes were committed on one raid from the Black Sticks and they were allowed plenty of space inside the scoring circle. India lived dangerously as New Zealand forced four successive penalty corners before Sreejesh managed to palm away a rising shot.

Besides Sreejesh, former captain Manpreet Singh also played a composed game to mark appearance in their fourth Olympics, but the Indian midfield conceded unusual space to the rivals as star medio Hardik Singh did not seem at his best, while captain Harmanpreet seemed to suffer from early nerves which were not calmed until India had nade an entry on the scoreboard.

A fine goal-bound shot from Sukhjeet was blocked by the goalkeeper and Harmanpreet’s rising penalty corner flick was palmed away as India went out to bolster the lead in the last quarter of play. However, it was New Zealand who managed to secure the 2-2 equaliser in the 52nd minute when veteran Simon Child capitalised on a rebound from the last of their penalty corners.

Desperation was evident in India’s raids when it seemed the points in this Pool B fixture will be split, but the strikers managed to tear through the rival defence to earn the 69th minute penalty corner that saw Harmanpreet emerge as a hero in the end.

Defending champions Belgium defeated Ireland 2-0 while Tokyo silver medallist Australia overcame Argentina 1-0 in other matches of this preliminary group, from which four top teams will advance of the quarterfinals.