The Indian Men’s Hockey Team suffered a 2-3 defeat against the Netherlands in the ongoing FIH Hockey Pro League 2022-23 on Saturday.
Duco Telgenkamp (7’), Boris Burkhardt (41’), and Tjep Hoedemakers (43’) scored the goals for the Dutch, while Sanjay (18’) and Gurjant Singh (46’) were on target for India.
India started the match on the front foot and were dominating proceedings with Amit Rohidas coming close to converting a penalty corner, but the attempt was defended successfully. However, the opposition grew into the game and Duco Telgenkamp (7’) managed to break the deadlock by guiding the ball past PR Sreejesh at the far post. The Netherlands continued their offensive, but Sreejesh stood tall between the sticks to save a few attempts on goal, saving the blushes for the Indian team.
In the second quarter, the Indian team grabbed an early equalizer when Sanjay (18’) found the net from close range. They continued to pound the Dutch goal with Abhishek and Mandeep Singh coming close to scoring the second but were denied by the opposition keeper. It was end-to-end stuff in the final minutes of the second quarter but neither side managed to break the deadlock, resulting in a 1-1 scoreline at halftime.
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For the bulk of the third quarter, the two teams continued to be on an even keel. But with four minutes remaining, the Dutch swiftly orchestrated a move from the right, enabling Boris Burkhardt (41’) to score, which helped them take a 2-1 lead. A few minutes later, the Dutch capitalized on a series of penalty corners, with Tjep Hoedemakers (43’) converting one of them to further increase their advantage.
The Indian team began the final quarter with renewed vigour. They pulled one back as Lalit set up Gurjant Singh (46’), to reduce the deficit to 3-2 within the first minute. India enjoyed a numerical advantage for a short period but could not capitalise on the benefit.
Mandeep and his teammates gave their all in the final 10 minutes but the Dutch defence remained resolute to hold on to the 3-2 scoreline.
They will next face Argentina on June 12 in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2022-23 campaign.
How to watch India vs Argentina in FIH Pro League in India
The matches will be broadcast live on Star Sports Network and can be streamed live on Fancode.
| Date | Match | TV channel | Live stream |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 11 | Argentina vs India | Star Sports First, Star Sports First HD, Star Sports Select 2 and Star Sports Select 2 HD |