India has beaten Spain by 3-2 in their crucial Pool B match at the 27th Olympiad on Saturday. Aware that the result in this match can make or mar their chances for going through to the semi-finals, India went into attack right from the word go and kept the ball in the Spanish half for the first seven minutes.
Pushed to the wall, the Spaniards made some moves and earned two quick penalty corners in the 11th minute but they were wasted.
India got its first goal in the 19th minute through a penalty stroke which was awarded as Dhanraj Pillay was wrongly obstructed in front of the goal mouth. Baljit Singh Dhillon made no mistake in making it 1-0.
One goal up, India pushed the rivals further but Spainards managed to force a penalty corner on a counter attack in the 21st minute which Xavier Ribas converted.
Now it was the turn of the Spaniards to dominate the proceedings and in the 33rd minute got a another penalty corner which went abegging.
India experimented with a few substitutions. Pillay was taken out for a few minutes and then again introduced. In the very last minute of the first half India got its first penalty corner which was converted by Dilip Tirkey off a rebound off goalkeeper`s pads.

Bureau Report