The Indian men's hockey team will take on Ireland in their third pool match at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Tuesday (July 30). The Indians, who began their campaign with a 3-2 win against New Zealand, had to be content with a 1-1 draw in their second match against Argentina on Monday. They are currently in third place behind Belgium and Australia in their pool.
The Irish, meanwhile, lost both their opening matches but gave the Australians a run for their money in a narrow 1-2 defeat on Monday. Mark Tumilty's side had earlier gone down to Belgium by a 0-2 margin in the opener of the men's hockey competition in Paris.
Goalkeeper David Harte will be the most experienced Irishman on the pitch when the Green Machine takes on India on Tuesday. A veteran of 242 international caps, Harte came up with no less than five incredible saves against the Australians. The Indian strikers will need to be at their best to beat the goalie who was also part of the Ireland squad at Rio 2016.
The Indians, who struggled with penalty corners before Harmanpreet Singh came up with an equalizer at the death against Argentina, may not find goalscoring easy, with Shane O'Donoghue and Lee Cole manning the backlines.
Anything less than a win will complicate India's chances of finishing on top of their pool in the men's hockey competition in Paris.
India vs Ireland match details
Match Details: India vs Ireland, Pool Match, Paris Olympics 2024
Date & Time: Tuesday, July 30, 2024, 4:45 PM IST
Venue: Paris, France
India vs Ireland: Head-to-head (Last 5)
Matches Played: 5
India - 4
Ireland - 1
Draws: 0
Notable results:
India 3 - 2 Ireland (Rio Olympics 2016)
India 1 - 0 Ireland (FIH Pro League)
India 4 - 0 Ireland (FIH Pro League)
India vs Ireland: Full Squads
India
Goalkeeper: Sreejesh Parattu Raveendran
Defenders: Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Harmanpreet Singh, Sumit, Sanjay
Midfielders: Rajkumar Pal, Shamsher Singh, Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad
Forwards: Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh
Ireland
Goalkeeper: David Harte
Defenders: Tim Cross, Walsh Daragh, Kyle Marshall, Shane O'Donoghue, Peter McKibbin, Lee Cole, Nick Page
Midfielders: Sean Murray, Michael Robson, Peter Brown
Forwards: John McKee, Matthew Nelson, Jeremy Duncan, Benjamin Walker, Ben Johnson
India vs Ireland: Prediction
The Irish played a fast and attacking game against the Kookaburras and the Indians will be wary of a side they managed to beat via a last-minute goal in a Pro League game earlier this year. Expect the Indians, who need a win, to go on the attack early against an Ireland side that also needs three points to stay in contention for a semi-final spot.
Score Prediction: India 3 - Ireland 1
Where to watch Paris Olympics 2024 hockey matches in India?
Hockey matches at the Paris Olympics 2024 will be telecast in India on Sports 18 channels and streamed live on Jio Cinema.