Bhubaneswar, February 16
Indian men's hockey team avenged their 1-3 loss in the opening game with a stunning 2-0 win against Spain at the FIH Hockey Pro League 2024-25 (Men) being held at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Sunday.
It was a super Sunday with hockey fans from the region turning up in large numbers to back their favourite players and goals by Mandeep Singh (32') and Dilpreet Singh (39') ensured India bagged their first win of the season.
Earlier in the game, the first quarter was fairly quiet with both teams remaining goalless. India's defence, though, was a notch above their performance in the opening match yesterday as they played by the structure and kept the Spanish forwardline in check. It was only Mandeep Singh who came close to scoring for India in the 5th minute but the Spanish defender made a fine save, a release said.
Unfortunately, both teams' despair with a goal continued in the second quarter. But India looked like a better team with improved ball possession and they pressed hard. Spain's defence, however, held strong, and neither team could make a headway even though India earned a PC in the 18th minute.
Following the 10-minute half-time break, India finally broke the deadlock when the forward line was swift to pickup a rebound off the penalty corner they had earned in the 32nd minute. While Spain's defenders were caught napping, Mandeep was quick to act on it with Dilpreet's assist.
It was an important goal for India as it gave them the much-needed momentum to cruise ahead in the quarter, fetching another goal to extend their lead to 2-0 in the 39th minute.
This time it was Dilpreet Singh who put his name on the scoresheet. Playing in tandem with his fellow strikers, Mandeep Singh, lofted the ball to Gurjant Singh at the top of the circle, a reverse hit by Gurjant was smartly deflected into the post by Dilpreet Singh.
It was an unconventional shot, but it got India ahead by two goals. In the following minutes, there was a flurry of PCs, with both teams earning a piece, but neither could convert.
The final quarter was intense, with Spain pushing for that elusive goal, but India held sway, and both Suraj Karkera and Krishan Pathak were outstanding in the post. India played the game tactically, and an all-round performance in the absence of their captain Harmanpreet Singh, who was rested for today's game, ended up earning their first winning points in this season's FIH Hockey Pro League.
- ANI