Hockey World Cup 2018, India vs Belgium: 5 Talking Points

#3 Varun Kumar to the rescue

Varun Kumar had a brilliant game

However, if the attackers of the Indian team brought cheers to the home crowd in the first match, it was drag-flicker Varun Kumar, who came to India's rescue.

If India avoided another humiliating loss at the hands of Belgium, the credit goes solely to this defender, who was rightly awarded the Man of the Match for his stick work throughout the match.

The moment the third quarter began, Varun Kumar, who was playing defensively, changed his gears and went into the attacking mode.

Like Akashdeep Singh, he served as the link man between his players, and earned three penalty corners for his team, much to the delight of the home crowd.

Even though Harmanpreet Singh missed on the first drag flick, Varun Kumar did not lose hope, and earned a valuable penalty stroke, that not only enabled India to equalize the score, but also make a comeback into the match.

Sadly, he wasn't given much support by his fellow players, and his efforts went in vain when Belgium struck a goal in the last five minutes, forcing India to be content with a draw.