Anupa Barla’s late goal helped India women draw their second match against Spain women 1-1 at the Consejo Superior de Deportes Hockey Stadium, Madrid, on Wednesday. With both teams playing a five-match series, India had lost their opening encounter 3-0 on Tuesday.
It was a match of two halves as hosts Spain dominated the match in the first two quarters but the Indian team made a comeback in the last quarter. It was Spain’s Berta Bonastre (14’) who opened the scoring but India’s Anupa Barla cancelled out her goal in the 54th minute with the match ending in a draw.
The opening quarter saw both the teams battling it out in the midfield trying to create chances. It was the hosts who managed to take the lead in the 14th minute as their 26-year-old striker Bonastre scored in her second consecutive match.
World No. 10 India started the second quarter with an aggressive approach, but could not manage to beat the Spanish Goalkeeper Maria Ruiz. India started to get into rhythm in the third quarter with the back line standing strong against the Spanish offence. Skipper Rani Rampal came close to finding the equaliser in the third quarter but the ball went just wide of goal.
The World No. 10 team continued playing some attacking hockey in the last quarter as well and put constant pressure on the hosts, which saw the visitors earn an equaliser in the 54th minute when Anupa Barla’s deflected shot went past Spanish Goalkeeper Maria Ruiz into the back of the net.
The two teams will play the third of their five matches on Friday.
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