Indian men’s hockey team beat New Zealand 4-3

India made use of striker Mandeep Singh’s brace to respond brilliantly from two behind to beat New Zealand 4-3 in the opening match of the FIH Pro League Season 4 at Kalinga Stadium here on Friday.

It was a heartbreaking performance from the Indians as they advanced early in the first quarter but looked down the barrel as the Black Sticks scored once in the second quarter and twice in the third to hold the score 3-1. The Indians played offensive hockey with a great deal of consistency and defended superbly as they came back despite being behind by 10 minutes in the third quarter.

Mandeep Singh scored in the 51st and 56th minutes, while Harmanpreet Singh (41 minutes) and Mandeep Moore (13 minutes) scored for India, while Sam Lin scored for New Zealand in the 22nd and 35th minutes, while Jake Smith contributed a goal in the 34th minute.

The two teams were tied on penalties, with India taking nine penalties, while New Zealand got 11 penalties.

New Zealand are playing in the FIH Pro League after a two-season absence due to Covid-19 travel restrictions. However, they fought and almost won the difficult confrontation against the hosts.

However, it was Mandeep Moore who gave India the lead in the first quarter by converting a basket in the 13th minute. New Zealand had to wait until the 22nd minute to equalize the score as they earned a penalty and Sam Lynn stepped in to defeat Kishan Pathak on goal. Both teams created many chances but tied 1-1 in the first half.

Jake Smith made the score for New Zealand 2-1 when he scored early in the third quarter in the 34th minute and a minute later the Black Sticks seemed poised to win when Sam Lane scored his second goal to make it 3-1.

India’s fight started when one of the defenders knocked down Mandeep Singh as he was preparing a shot on goal and India got a penalty kick. Harmanpreet Singh stepped up to convert the shot to make it 2-3 for India.

Graham Reed winger continues to press but the New Zealand defense twice frustrated them. Their problems were exacerbated when midfielder Sumit received a yellow card and was sent to sin-bin for 10 minutes as this was his second offense in the match.

New Zealand tried to take advantage of having an extra player on the field and launched some good attacks, one of which earned them two consecutive penalties. However, the second was saved by goalkeeper of the year PR Sreejesh.

India continued to attack in the fourth quarter and Mandeep Singh entered the attack when he veered a pass from Mandeep Moore to make it 3-3.

In the next minute, Dilpreet Singh had the opportunity to put India ahead but his shot was saved by the New Zealand goalkeeper.

Just four minutes ago, Manpreet Singh put India ahead with a decisive goal from a solo effort. The veteran Punjab striker did a great job from the 23-yard streak, entered the shooting circle to show the defenders a pair of clean heels and ran past the goalkeeper.

New Zealand withdrew its goalkeeper to add an extra striker, but the Indians defended well. The Black Caps scored two penalties in the last minute but failed to score as goalkeeper Kishan Pathak scored a difficult goal.

So there is no denying India’s unforgettable win which put them on the winning side in the FIH Pro League group where Spain is third.

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