The ball was still mid-flight when Salima Tete took off.

The forward, who has taken it upon herself to ensure India do not miss the Olympic bus, received a pass inside the ‘D’ on the right with seconds remaining in the third quarter. She looked up to see where the goalkeeper was and, from an acute angle, unleashed a ferocious hit.

As the ball flew into the far corner, Salima dashed towards the other side, in the direction of Udita Duhan. In the centre of the pitch, the two players who have turned around India’s faltering campaign embraced each other. Soon, they were swarmed by the rest of the teammates.

Salima’s goal came at a time when Italy still had some fight left in them. Unfazed by the two-goal deficit, the Europeans continued to dart forward, test the Indian defence and win penalty corners. But Salima’s strike – India’s third goal of the evening – snuffed out any hopes of an Italian comeback.

India added two more goals in the final quarter to record a comfortable 5-1 win and qualify for the semifinals of the Olympic Qualifiers, ensuring they firmly remain in contention for a Paris Games berth.

But it wasn’t before they got a helping hand from the same team that gave them sleepless nights – the USA.

The Americans, who defeated India on the opening night leaving the hosts in a spot of bother, maintained their 100 percent record with a 1-0 win over New Zealand. That meant the US surpassed all expectations and topped Pool B. Crucially, from India’s perspective, it simplified their task: to stay in the hunt for the Olympic berth, they simply needed to avoid defeat against the lowest-ranked team of the tournament, Italy.

And they did. When it was needed the most, India came up with a near-flawless performance to beat the world number 20 side. When the final hooter sounded, it sparked scenes of jubilation at a packed Jaipal Singh Stadium in Ranchi; relieved, too, that the hosts had recovered from a wobbly start.

But it’s also a job half done. The win ensured India made it to the second part of the tournament where the stakes will rise. India, ranked 6th, play fifth-placed Germany in a tough semifinal on Thursday.

A win will seal a third-straight Olympic berth for a team that hadn’t made it to the Games for more than three decades until they embarked on this fine run. A defeat, however, would mean another nervy playoff battle.

That’s a worry for another day, though. On Tuesday, India coach Janneke Schopman flashed a big, wide smile for the first time in this tournament. The Dutchwoman couldn’t bear to watch the preceding game between the USA and New Zealand on which India’s fate was partially dependent.

The US had taken an early lead but New Zealand mounted relentless pressure, throwing everything they had at them. As was the case against India, though, basic errors cost New Zealand dear as the US hung on for a win, which meant India only needed to get a point against Italy to finish second and qualify for the last four.

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— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) January 16, 2024

No starting trouble

India, though, did well to not fall into the trap of playing for a draw. Like they did on Sunday against New Zealand, they went from 0 to 100 within seconds. Once again, the same three players who’d torn apart the Kiwis the other night combined to torment the Italians.

Inside the first 30 seconds, Sangita Kumari fired the first shot of the match and got the goalkeeper to work. Barely 10 seconds later, Salima got the ball and found a defender’s foot to win a penalty corner. And Udita – playing her 100th international match – scored from a trademark slap-shot to give India the perfect start.

Never one to show emotion, Schopman jumped in joy in the dugout. But if she hoped the early goal would open the floodgates, she was mistaken.

Italy, who are a much better team than what their ranking suggests, kept a robust defensive structure that did not allow India’s forwards any easy attempts at goal. The home team dominated possession, and tried to enter the circle from the flanks through mazy runs down the baseline and from the centre. But the Italian defenders were up to the mark, not giving India an inch inside the ‘D’.

At half time, when the teams walked back with the score still 1-0, there were nerves, especially knowing that Italy have defeated India in the past.

But India kept knocking on the door before eventually breaking it down in the third quarter when Lalremsiami – who had another fantastic outing – used her speed to go one-on-one with the goalkeeper before she was fouled by a defender, leading to India getting a penalty stroke. Deepika stepped up to convert it without much fuss.

This time, rather than rejoicing, Schopman looked relieved that India had a two-goal cushion. The smiles, though, were back on their faces when Salima did what she does best: sprint into the box and score a goal.

It put the result beyond doubt and made sure the hosts remained involved in the party in their own backyard.

SEMIFINAL LINE-UP (both matches on Thursday)

Japan vs USA

Germany vs India