IMAGE: India’s players celebrate scoring in the second hockey Test against Germany in New Delhi on Thursday. Photograph: Hockey India/Instagram
Skipper Harmanpreet Singh and Sukhjeet Singh scored a brace each to hand India a 5-3 victory over World champions Germany in the second hockey Test, but the hosts lost the two-match series via the shoot-out at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, in New Delhi, on Thursday.
Elian Mazkour (7th, 57th minute) scored twice for Germany, while Henrik Mertgens (60th) was the other goal-getter for the visitors.
But India fought back in the second half with goals from Sukhjeet Singh (34th and 48th minute), skipper Harmanpreet Singh (42nd and 43rd) and Abhishek (45th) to level the two-match series.
Germany won the first Test 2-0 on Wednesday.
In the shoot-out, Harmanpreet, Abhishek and Mohammed Raheel failed while Aditya was the lone scorer as India lost 1-3.
India custodian Krishan Bahadur Pathak made two fine saves, but couldn’t save the side from losing in the shoot-out.
India started on the front foot and created early chances but failed to breach the German defence.
Germany took the lead in the seventh minute through Elian Mazkour, who scored with a fierce reverse shot from the right corner.
Two minutes later, debutant Aditya Arjun Lalage came close to scoring his first goal but his shot from a Jarmanpreet Singh pass was saved by German goalkeeper Joshua Nnaji Onyekwue.
India kept up the pressure and secured their first penalty-corner in the next minute but the variation did not work out well.
The Indians secured another penalty-corner in the next minute but Manpreet Singh couldn’t stop the push cleanly.
The Germans secured a penalty-corner in the 12th minute but Lukas Windfeder shot wide.
Minutes later, it was India’s turn to earn a penalty-corner and the hosts went for a beautiful variation with Amit Rohidas laying it up for Harmanpreet, whose ground hit was saved by the German keeper.
Soon, Germany too secured a penalty corner but the Indians defended well.
It rained penalty-corners as India got two more in quick time but wasted both.
Two minutes from half-time, Germany got another penalty-corner but failed to capitalize.
Trailing by a goal, the Indians came out with more purpose and vigour after the change of ends, and four minutes into the third quarter secured three back-to-back penalty-corners but wasted all.
They finally scored through penalty-corners as Harmanpreet converted two in succession with a minute’s gap. He first found the top right corner of the German goal and then scored a minute later with a powerful grounded flick.
It was raining goals for a pumped-up India thereafter, with Abhishek finding the back of the net minutes later with a fierce shot from the right corner to hand the home team a 4-1 lead.
The Indians continued with the same intensity in the fourth and final quarter and extended their lead in the 48th minute through an unmarked Sukhjeet.
Sukhjeet received a long pass from the deep and sped away with only the onrushing German goalkeeper to beat and he did that perfectly with a diving reverse hit.
The fighting Germans didn’t give up and secured another penalty-corner in the 54th minute but failed to threaten the Indian goal.
Germany, however, pulled one back three minutes from the final hooter when Mazkour received a ball inside the ‘D’, brilliantly turned to dodge an Indian defender and slotted home the ball past Indian goalkeeper Suraj Karkera.
The Germans continued the high press and got another goal back just at the stroke of the final hooter through Henrik Mertgens.
With both the sides winning a match each, the series winner was decided via the shoot-out.
