Barcelona, Jul 30: The Indian men’s hockey team notched up a 2-1 win over reigning FIH Hockey Pro League champions Netherlands 2-1 in the third-fourth placing match here at the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation – International Tournament on Sunday.
Captain Harmanpreet Singh (15th) and Dilpreet Singh (50th) scored in India’s hard-fought victory, while Thierry Brinkman (25th) scored the lone goal for the Dutch side.
Interestingly, all goals came from penalty corners.
India got off to a cautious start, not allowing the Dutch to make easy forays into the striking circle. The team’s forwards, on the other hand, stitched together clever strategy that forced the Dutch defenders to make errors.
The tactic worked when India managed their first PC with just 30 seconds left for the first hooter. In-form Indian skipper Harmanpreet, who had to re-take the dragflick after the first attempt was stopped by the Netherlands’ first rusher, was on target fetching his team an important 1-0 lead in the 15th minute.
The following quarter saw Netherlands bounce back when Brinkman converted a well-executed penalty corner in the 20th minute. The equaliser did not deter the Indian team as it remained determined in its pursuit to end the campaign on a winning note.
While no goals came through in the third quarter, there were some tense moments in the fourth quarter when the match looked like it would go into a penalty shootout.
While the Netherlands squandered a few opportunities to score, the Indian side did well to hold its nerves and convert from a PC in the 50th minute.
While Amit Rohidas’ drag was padded away by the Dutch goalie Mauritis Visser, India’s fearless striker Dilpreet Singh picked up a fine rebound to push the ball into the post.
The 2-1 lead increased pressure on the Dutch side who looked for ways to score an equaliser. In the final moments, they were successful in earning back-to-back PCs but India did well to defend their score and finish on a winning note.
The Indian team will arrive in Chennai in the early hours of Tuesday morning to play the much-awaited Asian Champions Trophy starting August 3 at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium. (PTI)
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