There are some stark similarities between the Hockey India League’s Mumbai Magicians and the Indian hockey team. For one, they begin a match perfectly, dominate at the start and even score goals early. But eventually they seem to tire and concede goals towards the end and end up losers. It happened last year, when they lost 11 out of their 12 HIL matches, and it’s happening this year too.

Mumbai Magicians celebrate Gurjinder Singh’s goal against UP Wizards at the MHA-Mahindra Stadium yesterday. Pic/Suresh KK

Mumbai lost their opening HIL tie 3-5 to Punjab Warriors on Sunday despite leading 2-1 and 3-2 in the initial stages of the encounter. Yesterday at the MHA-Mahindra Stadium, the Mumbai side, led by Australian Glenn Turner, were up 2-0 in the first half but eventually ended up 3-5 losers to Uttar Pradesh Wizards. This is not to take away any sheen off UP skipper and star drag-flicker V Raghunath’s hat-trick however.

Drag-flicker Gurjinder Singh opened the scoring for Mumbai with a neat drag-flick off a penalty corner in the 12th minute. Skipper Turner doubled the lead off an indirectly executed penalty corner six minutes later. In between, UP were awarded a stroke as the ball struck defender VS Vinaya’s foot off a penalty corner, but Mumbai ’keeper David Harte neatly warded off Luke Doerner’s attempt. Raghunath scored the first of his troika in the 28th minute.