Hockey FIH Pro League, India v Germany as it happened: Savita Punia stars as India clinch shootout

7.00 pm: Not quite high octane as the Spain-India ties, but two entertaining clashes nevertheless. Up next for Indian women, England at home on the weekend of Apr 2 & 3.

FIH Pro League (women) standings at the end of this tie, India up to 2nd:

Player of the match: India’s Navneet Kaur.

“I’m very happy, we did really well and worked very hard in both the matches,” she says.

Shootout, India 3-0 Germany: Correction. It was Sonika. AND SHE WINS IT WITH A SUPERB EFFORT! Brilliant from India today. Nice celebrations at the end.

Shootout, India 2-0 Germany: Savita stays up on her feet and Strauss has taken too long looking for an opening. Not a save but brilliant composure. Gurjit to win it.

Shootout, India 2-0 Germany: Savita with another brilliant save! And now Sangita with a brilliant finish on the turn.

Shootout, India 1-0 Germany: Savita saves the first one! Stayed on her feet, kicked it away. Salima will go for India... and she scores brilliantly. Already better than yesterday!

FULL TIME STATS as we get ready for shootout:

End of Q4, India 1-1 Germany: SAVE-ITA SAVES! The captain at least keeps her side level at the end. Shootout beckons.

Q4, India 1-1 Germany: Savita saves but the ball lobs up, another PC.

Q4, India 1-1 Germany: Will it be a late heartbreak for the hosts?

Q4, India 1-1 Germany: Huge chance on the counter from Germany! But Savita comes up with a huge save. It is still a PC though.

Q4, India 1-1 Germany: Final minute. India will rue another wasteful Q4?

Q4, India 1-1 Germany: CHANCE!!! Oh dear, Sharmila Devi will have nightmares of that if India don’t win this. Great work from the byline by Deepika and an open chance is not converted. Tricky bounce did her in it would seem. Less than 2 mins to go.

Q4, India 1-1 Germany: India try a deflection from Gurjit’s flick, too many bodies in there. Doesn’t work.

Q4, India 1-1 Germany: India have tried this a few times, but finally it clicks. Ball into the D from Salima and it’s a PC. Gurjit on the pitch.

Q4, India 1-1 Germany: Germany defenders deal with another dangerous turnover calmly enough. Seven mins to go, India look to build again.

Q4, India 1-1 Germany: Less than 10 mins to go, and going by yesterday’s evidence, India will not want another shootout.

Q4, India 1-1 Germany: Germany try a variation but the shot is just wide on the angle!

Q4, India 1-1 Germany: Savita is called into making a save but soon after a PC for Germany. Danger for India.

Q4, India 1-1 Germany: Gurjit on the pitch for this, powerful drag flick but straight at the keeper. Rebound hits her foot.

Q4, India 1-1 Germany: Deepika wins a PC for India

End of Q3, India 1-1 Germany: Much, much better from India in that quarter to level things up. They will fancy their chances of finding the winner if they can keep up this intensity.

Q3, India 1-1 Germany: Oh Neha nearly with a killer through ball but it is just behind Sangita.

Q3, India 1-1 Germany: Sippel has carried pretty much all of Germany’s threat, she is nearly at it here again. But great defending (Nikki I think).

Q3, India 1-1 Germany: GOAL INDIA! Really, really scrappy at the end but before that some really good team work. Nisha given the goal it would seem after an almighty scramble. Germany didn’t clear in time

Q3, India 0-1 Germany: Savita back in goal and she is under pressure there from a Germany counter. Frerichs with a nice move down left. It’s been all India otherwise but you just sense that Germany could easily score the next.

Q3, India 0-1 Germany: Wave after wave of India attacks. But still no clear chance from any of that it would seem. Navneet once again heavily involved.

Q3, India 0-1 Germany: Oh nearly a sensational through ball from Lalremsiami through to Monika! That would have been some assist if it was converted. Another chance worked by India. Strong start to the quarter.

Q3, India 0-1 Germany: It sounded as if the German coach was the more unhappy one at the break. Can India convert their playing-well-ness into goals?

“We forget to reward ourselves,” is a good line from coach Janneke Schopman. “In the end phase we have a little bit of problem, we’ve been working on that.” Not sure anyone could sum up stuff better in a 1-min interview.

FIRST HALF STATS: Bit surprising to see Germany dominate possession numbers like that, India certainly seemed to have the ball more today. But otherwise, all even. India guilty of lacking a killer edge.

HALF TIME, India 0-1 Germany: India seem to be ruing that referral that was lost. A penalty stroke came Germany’s way, wasn’t converted. But they take the lead after a super period of pressure. India trail 0-1 at half time. Concerns for coach Janneke.

Q2, India 0-1 Germany: GOAL GERMANY! Sippel’s drag flick is deflected into the net by Felicia Wieidermann. Training stuff, that. Pressure pays off for the Europeans.

Q2, India 0-0 Germany: Rushing error from India, they are a defender short for the next take. And there is another PC. India really ruing their referral miss at the moment it would seem.

Q2, India 0-0 Germany: Pressure pays, a PC for Germany.

Q2, India 0-0 Germany: Possibly Germany’s best phase in the match. India on the backfoot.

Q2, India 0-0 Germany: Superb counter down the right from Salima, absolutely sensational last ditch defending there otherwise Sharmila was going to tap in

Q2, India 0-0 Germany: Penalty stroke to Germany! No referrals left... but it’s off post! And no rebounds. Fleschutz went the right way but too far.

Q2, India 0-0 Germany: Every time you think India are having a good phase, Germany create a chance. And Sippel is involved in everything good they do.

Q2, India 0-0 Germany: Well worked move by India, rookie Sangita Kumari gets a shot away but it goes wide.

Q2, India 0-0 Germany: Great stickwork from Salima, but once again no killer ball available. The pressing has been solid from the hosts.

Q2, India 0-0 Germany: Seen a few long balls into the circle , India make the German alternate GK work there.

Q2, India 0-0 Germany: So Savita is off the pitch. The Indian women don’t often rotate their goalkeepers but this must be a chance for game time for Bichu Devi.

End of Q1, India 0-0 Germany: The home side doing much of the attacking in this match so far but the final touch, as we have seen, is just missing. Navneet has been a bright spark.

Q1, India 0-0 Germany: India will finish the quarter with 10.

Q1, India 0-0 Germany: Gurjit is on the pitch but not for long though, gets a green card suspension for a rough tackle in midfield.

Q1, India 0-0 Germany: Gurjit not on the pitch, Monika with a hit instead of a flick as she likes to do. Oh that’s a great strike actually. Good save.

Q1, India 0-0 Germany: Germany are struggling a bit more at the moment than India, in the heat. Yesterday the Europeans had much more possession in the first half, but this is to be expected. India looking keen to exploit this early and they have a PC this time. Navneet again!

Q1, India 0-0 Germany: India won the balls high up Germany’s defensive area a lot of times yesterday but couldn’t make the most of the turnovers. That’s been the area of concern.

Q1, India 0-0 Germany: Navneet (I think) with a good move into the circle to try and fashion a chase, Germany defend. Chance down the other end too. Intensity picking up. Navneet again involved on the counter, brilliant solo run but gets crowded at the end .

Q1, India 0-0 Germany: Yesterday’s player of the match Sippel heavily involved in the early stages too. Worth noting that Germany are working with a smaller younger squad, India will want to make more of that fact.

Q1, India 0-0 Germany: Efficient start from both teams, Germany’s first shot on goal also on target. Savita too called into action early.

Q1, India 0-0 Germany: Oh dear, India lose their referral early. Salima was convinced there was a back-stick involved.

Q1, India 0-0 Germany: Oh nearly an early goal! But India think they have a case for a PC. A review in the first minute, would be a risk to lose it so early. It came from Deepika’s shot on goal.

Q1, India 0-0 Germany: PUSHBACK! Right then, one change to the starting XI with Neha in place of Navneet. (Of course, expect subs aplenty during the match)

If we are not mistaken, it’s the same XI to start for India (which means Gurjit is still on the bench to start). National anthems done, time for pushback nearly.

Head Coach Janneke Schopman says the Indian women were disappointed about the result last night, especially not doing more in the fourth quarter. Adds that she is happy with some of the progress in the tournament so far.

Standings ahead of this match:

4.55 pm: Hello and welcome to live updates of India’s clash with Germany in the FIH Pro League at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar.

Savita Punia will be expecting to bounce back after a drawn match on Saturday that saw Germany take the bonus point comfortably in the shootout.

While the match ended 1-1, the visiting German side are more likely to be pleased with the result than their India coounterparts. Not only did they take the bonus point when they won the shoot-out but, for many of the players, they performed with confidence on one of the iconic hockey stages, the Kalinga Stadium in India.

Akim Bouchouchi will have been pleased with the way his young and inexperienced side competed against India in, what was for most of his players, their first taste of FIH Hockey Pro League action.

The German team had a total of 65 senior caps to their name, with one of the youngest players, 18-year-old Jette Fleschütz, with one of the highest cap counts at 18.

By contrast, Shushila Pukhrambam, was celebrating 200 caps for India and would have hoped for a more conclusive performance by her team. Certainly Head Coach Janneke Schopman will be looking for a more intensive performance by her players in the second match against Germany. 

— via FIH Media

Screenshots courtesy: Disney+Hotstar / FIH