"We cried after the Great Britain loss": Indian captain Rani Rampal highlights how they fixed their mistakes in historic QF win

Rani Rampal will be a proud captain today. She and her team have done what no one could even fathom 2021 Olympics tournament got underway. The Indian women's hockey team beat Australia 1-0 and advanced to the semifinals for the first time in their history.

6️⃣0️⃣ minute, ye 6️⃣0️⃣ minute hum hamesha yaad rakhenge. 🇮🇳The Indian Women's Hockey team are through to the semis. 💙#AUSvIND #HaiTayyar #IndiaKaGame #Tokyo2020 #TeamIndia #TokyoTogether #StrongerTogether #HockeyInvites #WeAreTeamIndia #Hockey pic.twitter.com/qjh4ebNUbC

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) August 2, 2021

It was always going to be a stern test against the World No. 2 side for Rani & Co. The Indian team took the lead through Gurjit Singh's penalty corner drag flick. They sat back for the remainder of the match and kept the Australian attack at bay. A dogged, water-tight defense won the game for the Indian Eves.

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Speaking to the media after the game, Indian captain Rani Rampal said:

"I don’t know what to say. Seriously! First of all, I am super proud of the team. Each and every individual. Before the game we just said one thing – give everything and we’ll see what will happen. Don’t think about the semifinals and just look at the next 60 minutes. We have to stay in the game and spend all our energy in the next 60 minutes. It is not easy to score a goal in the first quarter and defend it for the entire match, especially against a team like Australia. But we played as a team according to the plans."

Speaking about the match against Australia, she further added:

“Our coach also told us to work so hard that you should not feel your legs after the game. Everyone did that and we’re happy. We got the goal in the first quarter. We planned to stay tight on defense but we also planned on going for the second goal. I think in the 2nd and 3rd quarter we attacked, but in the 4th one we had to sit back.”

The Indian team has managed a fantastic turnaround in the tournament. They lost their opening three Pool A fixtures and were among the worst performing teams. However, a spirited display in the following two games secured a quarterfinals qualification for India. They carried their momentum and pulled-off an upset against the mighty Australian team. Rampal said:

"When we entered the tournament everyone, including ourselves, knew that the pool was tough. The Netherlands, Great Britain, Germany were not going to be easy. It takes courage to bounce back the way we did. The coaching team did a good job to allow that. Our first-half performance against the Netherlands gave us courage. We literally cried after the Great Britain match because we knew we didn’t follow the plan.”

Rani Rampal is focused on the next match

Rani Rampal is aware of the celebrations that this monumental occasion will bring back home. She said:

"There cannot be a prouder moment for Indian hockey. When a team does well, it unites the whole nation. Everyone’s prayers have helped us to give us our all.”

The Indian team has a medal within touching distance. However, Rampal is adamant that the work for the next game has to start now. She said:

"We surely see the medal. It’s open for all now. We will celebrate our achievement for a moment and then get back to preparing for the big game.”

India will now be in action against Argentina in the semifinals on the 4th of August. The South American side got the better of Germany to secure a berth in the last four. It will not be an easy test for India, but one thing the young Indian team has shown today is that they're not afraid of anyone and are more than capable of pulling an upset.