...and they fall down

Hosts India suffer 0-1 loss at the hands of Argentina in the semis, out of title race

Indervir Grewal


India's Manpreet Singh slips during the semifinal against Argentina in Bhubaneswar on Friday. Hockey India

The Argentinian players stood on the blue turf — replete with puddles of water — with their arms raised. They stared into the black sky as raindrops glittered in the brightness of the floodlights, the players' body language suggesting relief more than joy. The Olympics champions pulled off a draining win in incredibly "tough conditions" to sink India and leave the ardent home fans cold, drenched and heartbroken.