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Indian Men’s Hockey Team secured a 5-3 victory against reigning world champions Germany.
NEW DELHI: The Indian Men’s Hockey Team secured a 5-3 victory against reigning world champions Germany in regulation time but ultimately lost the PFC India vs Germany Bilateral Hockey Series 2024 after a 1-3 setback in the shootout.
India’s goals came from Sukhjeet Singh (34′, 48′), Harmanpreet Singh (42′, 43′), and Abhishek (45′). For Germany, Elian Mazkour (7′, 57′) and Henrik Mertgens (60′) scored. Despite India’s strong showing in regulation, the visitors clinched the series with a dominant shootout performance.
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India started the match energetically, earning a penalty corner in the fourth minute. However, Germany first struck with a quick counter-attack in the 7th minute. Abhishek’s circle entry earlier had gone in vain, allowing Germany to capitalize.
Germany, already leading the series after a 2-0 victory in the first match, had a chance to extend their lead in the 12th minute with a penalty corner, but it went unconverted. A well-placed shot by India in the 14th minute was thwarted by an impressive save from German goalkeeper Danneberg.
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In the second quarter, India’s Vishnu Kant and Shamsher created opportunities but failed to find the back of the net. Both teams won penalty corners, but neither could break through. Germany’s solid defence, particularly during penalty corners, kept India from scoring.
Trailing 1-0 at halftime, India reconfigured their attack for the third quarter. A brilliant backhand pass by Shilanand Lakra to Sukhjeet Singh inside the circle led to a deflection that equalized the score. This goal gave India much-needed momentum. Harmanpreet Singh then struck back-to-back penalty corners in the 42nd and 43rd minutes, giving India a 3-1 lead.
Abhishek added another field goal before the end of the third quarter, and Sukhjeet extended the lead to 5-1 with a solo run in the 48th minute. However, Germany fought back late in the match. Mazkour scored his second goal in the 57th minute, and Mertgens found the net in the 60th minute, pushing the match into a shootout.
Reflecting on the match, Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh said, “We analyzed our opponents carefully after yesterday’s game and tried to minimize errors to bounce back today. I am proud of the way the team played. We succeeded in both field goals and penalty corners, but unfortunately, we couldn’t clinch the series.”
Harmanpreet Singh was named Player of the Match for his outstanding performance.
