PR Sreejesh's Olympic swansong, a drama laced with heroics and emotion

There were waves of British attacks preying on the Indian circle, but PR Sreejesh, the final frontier of Indian defence, stood like a knight.

He left nothing to chance. Like a battle-hardened war hero, he took the hit and endured bruises even, but never let his guard down.

Despite being a player down for almost three quarters - 44 minutes to be precise - for the rare send-off of defender Amit Rohidas, India chose to stay resolute in defense in their quarterfinal clash against Great Britain.

Sreejesh knew what was in store; he needed to be extra cautious to negate the onslaught.

Even the smallest mistake would have brought the curtains down on India's campaign.

Fans would not have been very kind to him either.

They would have suddenly forgotten all his feats and condemned him to eternal disgrace.

But Sreejesh held his composure and stretched every muscle in him to deliver a near-clean performance.

Sreejesh, the dribbler

With the score tied at 1-1, Great Britain tried to hunt India down by launching relentless attacks but never could they breach the iron wall that Sreejesh was.

A penalty corner was handed to Great Britain in the second half and Sreejesh was handed the task of thwarting the drag flick.

His destiny was in his own hands. He could not be beaten. He stood resolute and staved off the danger by kicking away the ball with his right foot.

With India successfully defending Great Britain and denying them the winner, confidence swelled in the Indian camp before the shootout.

They knew their goalkeeper would carry them through.

And there was a reason for such a strong belief. Sreejesh was in a shootout for the 23rd time in his career.

At the Olympics, Sreejesh, the tall hero who neutralised the German juggernaut in Tokyo in 2021 to end India's 41-year wait for an Olympic medal, is more than just a reliable shot-stopper.

And so, when the match went to a shootout, Sreejesh emerged as a monster before the British players.

In his jumbo yellow shirt, giant blue pads and vibrant helmet, Sreejesh was ready to savour the moment.

For someone who chose to become a goalkeeper because he did not like running the hard yards on the outfield, it was one heck of a performance.

On Sunday, he operated like a magnificent dribbler without the ball, leaving his opponents guiled.

When Sreejesh swerved and put his body on the line, the Great Britain players looked lost for ideas.

Be it the bending run of Conor Williamson, or Phil Roper's sideway movement waiting to dodge the Indian custodian, Sreejesh was not the person to be beaten.

He kept pace with them and wasted their eight-second slot as much as he could, forcing them to go for expansive hit that failed to find the mark. He either blocked the ball with his giant blue gloves, or simply put his body on the line.

The Britons were devasted eventually and broke down in despair.

Reflecting on his strategy after the match, Sreejesh said, "In a shootout, the idea is to kill the eight seconds. Then the pressure goes to the rival player and often he makes a mistake."

When his teammates did not miss the target and beat the English custodian Ollie Payne, he felt charged up to deliver the win.

"You also need your players' support. They scored four goals and that was important," said Sreejesh over the other factor that played a role in his brilliant performance.

High on emotions

It was Sreejesh's 13th win in the shootout. He was the hero yet again at the Olympics, putting himself in contention for greater glory at Paris' Yves du Manoir Stadium.

Hence, when Raj Kumar Pal beat Payne to confirm a 4-2 win for India and a place in the semifinal emotions flared.

Coach Craig Fulton pulled the sprints as fast as he could to knock Sreejesh down in a bid to hug him. Moments later, his wards followed suit.

There were moist eyes as the players immersed themselves in the marvelous moment. They have again been presented with a chance to retrieve Indian hockey's lost glory.

By staving off the British drives, Sreejesh not only prolonged his career for two more matches but also put himself and his team in the fray for a historic feat.

Before the start of the Paris Olympics, he had announced that he would retire from hockey once India's campaign ends in the Games.

Despite putting up a masterclass under the Parisian sky, Sreejesh has remained calm.

He did not want to get the moment into his head and now has a bigger feat to achieve.

"It is a daily job of a goalie," the 36-year-old would say.

And now Sreejesh is not only on the cusp of bettering his Tokyo exploits but is also on the verge of a perfect swansong.

World champions Germany stand between India and that coveted gold medal match.

As for Sreejesh, he won't mind the challenge one bit.