That’s it for our coverage for tonight.
India beat Spain all thanks to Krishan Bahadur Pathak. As Vinayakk mentioned midway through the match, the Indian keeper was seeing the ball like a football. Pathak was India’s best player by a mile and was not done any favours by his defence.
India were indisciplined today and played much of the second half with 10 men at multiple points. Jugraj, especially, was given a torrid time. Harmanpreet Singh continued his love affair with the Pro League scoring his fourth and fifth goals of this season
India end the four-match mini-tournament on eight points scoring with 15 goals scored but worryingly, conceding 12 goals.
Penalty shootout: India 2(3)-2(1) Spain: Krishan Bahadur Pathak, take a bow! Makes yet another good save and India clinch the match 3-1 via the penalty shootout!
Penalty shootout: India 2(3)-2(1) Spain: Gerard Clapes scores for Spain! Abhishek then comes out and jinxes past Garin to make it 3-1 for India.
Penalty shootout: India 2(2)-2(0) Spain: Shamsher Singh looks to have made it 3-0 for India but Garin reviews. After going through multiple angles, there is conclusive proof that the ball hit Shamsher’s back stick and it remains 2-0 to India
Penalty shootout: India 2(2)-2(0) Spain: Another save from Pathak! This time he just stands his ground and swipes his stick to take the ball
Penalty shootout: India 2(2)-2(0) Spain: Pathak saves! Brilliant glovework from the Indian! Raj Kumar Pal then dribbles past Garin to double India’s lead.
Penalty shootout: India 2(1)-2(0) Spain: Harmanpreet is the first one to take it. Garin rushes out and fouls the Indian captain. Harmanpreet makes no mistake from the penalty spot.
Vinayakk: Spain had a poor shootout last night against New Zealand but they come into this one with all the momentum while it was the other way round last night.
FT: India 2-2 Spain: Spain get yet another PC with 28 seconds left on the clock. India defend it but concede another PC with 15 seconds on the clock. Miralles sends it wide and that should be that. We will go to penalties.
Q4: India 2-2 Spain: Marc Reyne does well to get another PC for Spain off Jugraj. The Indian defender has not had the best of nights today. Thankfully for him, Pathal makes yet another save to keep the scores level.
Q4: India 2-2 Spain: How did Joaquin Menini miss from there! The Spanish no 18 gets the ball at the far post. With only Pathak to beat, Menini scoops it well over goal
Q4: India 2-2 Spain: Spain equalise! Brilliant, brilliant stick-work from Pere Amat! He kept the ball despite being surrounded by Indian defenders and shoots at goal. Pathak saves it but the ball ricochets into goal off Jugraj’s foot. Feel for Pathak there.
Q4: India 2-1 Spain: Abhishek does really well to win a free hit at the edge of the circle and quickly takes it. He goes towards the baseline and fires in a cross. The ball hits a Spanish defender on the knee and Spain win a free hit.
Q4: India 2-1 Spain: Sumit gets a yellow card and India are now down to ten men for at least five minutes. That’s his second of the mini-tournament. Soon after, Dilpreet concedes a PC. The injection is poor and Amit is on to Miralles in a flash. The ball comes off his arm, it looks like and Spain have another PC. The second PC is saved down low by Pathak. The Indian keeper then quickly scoots around to close down the angle and India finally come away with a free hit.
Q4: India 2-1 Spain: Xavier Gispert gets himself a green card for not moving five metres away from an Indian free hit after fouling Manpreet Singh. India now have an extra player and should look to kill the contest.
Q4: India 2-1 Spain: Spain start the quarter with yet another PC. With the ball bouncing, Harmanpreet swings at it and puts it behind. Spain fail to trap the injection and India escape.
End of Q3: India 2-1 Spain: That’s the end of the third quarter and Spain finally convert a PC tonight. Should be a good final 15 minutes in the match.
Q3: India 2-1 Spain: Spain win yet another PC off a stick tackle. Harmanpreet refers but the video umpire sees no reason to change the decision and India lose their referral. Pau Cunnil’s attempt is charged down and deflected away by Amit Rohidas.
Q3: India 2-1 Spain: Spain score! After seeing yet another PC saved by Pathak, Spain finally get on the scoresheet. It’s yet another PC. This time it’s skipper Marc Miralles who takes it. He goes low and finally gets past Pathak.
Q3: India 2-0 Spain: Spain up the ante and play it from the left. Alvaro Iglesias deflects the ball goalwards. Pathak saves with his body and then flicks the loose ball away, but only as far as Iglesias and Spain have yet another PC.
Q3: India 2-0 Spain: Delightful play from India there! Manpreet spreads the play by pinging in a long diagonal to Shamsher who then finds Abhishek. Both go for goal one after another but Spain repel the attack. India are then reduced to 10 men for at least five minutes after Jugraj picks up a yellow card.
Q3: India 2-0 Spain: What a save from Pathak! Pau Cunill’s PC attempt looks destined for the top left corner but Pathak flings out his stick and puts it behind!
Q3: India 2-0 Spain: Jugraj gives away yet another PC but this one seems harsh. He had gone for a tackle but the ball goes off him past the baseline. Didn’t look like he intended to do that at all.
Vinayakk: Looks like Krishan Pathak will get all four quarters tonight.
Q3: India 2-0 Spain: Enrique Gonzalez does really well to bamboozle Jugraj and win another PC for Spain. Pau Cunill’s attempt is slapped away by Pathak.
Q3: India 2-0 Spain: Harmanpreet doubles India’s lead! Hardik wins a PC but his injection is not trapped properly by Raj Kumar Pal. The Indian No 25 responds quickly to retain the ball and reverse it to Harmanpreet. The Indian skipper takes a touch and rockets the ball into the back of the net!
Q3: India 1-0 Spain: Akashdeep fizzes in a hopeful cutback towards the edge of the 23. The ball looks destined miss Abhishek but Rabichandra stretches every sinew to trap the ball. Abhishek takes the ball and shoots but it’s blocked.
HT: India 1-0 Spain: Graham Reid: We got good pressure on them. We need to be careful in our 23 and also with our passes. They are turning the ball to us but we are giving it back to them.
Vinayakk: Spain have threatened a couple of times, India have made things a little difficult for themselves with green cards but overall solid. Given the often chaotic (if entertaining) nature of India’s three matches so far, one thinks Coach Graham Reid might not mind an eventless 1-0 lead at half time.
HT: India 1-0 Spain: India were pegged back for most of the second quarter thanks to some ill discipline. Spain, however, were unable to take advantage of the extra man. After shipping in goals in the first three matches, Graham Reid must be happy with the way his team defended with 10 players for extended periods. Won’t be too happy with the number of fouls that were given away though
End of Q2: India 1-0 Spain: It’s all going off at the end of Q2. Abhishek and Jarmanpreet combine well on the right. The latter’s ball finds Harmanpreet at the other end. He switches from left to right and just as the hooter blows, shoots at goal. That, does not go down well with the Spanish defenders near him and they charge at him. The Indian captain needs his deputy Manpreet to calm the Spanish defenders and tempers cool off quickly.
Q2: India 1-0 Spain: Jugraj Singh’s long pass is deflected goalwards by an off-balance Manpreet but straight at goalkeeper Mario Garin. India are finally attacking for a sustained period in Q2.
Q2: India 1-0 Spain: Marc Miralles goes on a brilliant run down the left jinxing past Indian defenders. His ball into the circle is kicked away by Pathak. Spain still have the ball but give away a free hit
Q2: India 1-0 Spain: Now it’s Manpreet’s turn on the sin bin after bringing down Jordi Bonastre and concedes a PC. He gives a piece of his mind to the Spaniard. Thankfully for him, Spain are unable to convert another PC.
Q2: India 1-0 Spain: Just as Surender’s time in the sin bin is done, Rabichandra gets himself booked. That gives Spain the opportunity to attack. India resist the pressure. Raj Kumar Pal does brilliantly to maintain possession against the Spanish press. He comes away with the ball but is fouled and India win a free hit which relieves the pressure.
Q2: India 1-0 Spain: Spain start the second quarter against 10-men India brightly and win a penalty corner. The attempt is well off the mark and is blocked. India break on the counter with Manpreet sprinting down the left. He looks for Sukhjeet at the far post but the ball is just to high for him and Spain escape.
Vinayakk: Well that is interesting, Krishan Pathak – who has been in good form in the last few matches – retains his spot between the posts for Q2 as well after starting the match. No rotation with Sreejesh... yet.
End of Q1: India 1-0 Spain: That’s the end of Q1 and India lead through Harmanpreet Singh’s penalty corner goal
Q1: India 1-0 Spain: Surender gets a green card for a foul and India are down to 10 for two minutes.
Q1: India 1-0 Spain: Good work from Jarmanpreet on the right to dissect the Spanish defence and find two of his compatriots in the circle. However, the ball is played behind them, and in stretching for it, end up lifting it high. Spain get the free hit.
Q1: India 1-0 Spain: Harmanpreet scores! A fifth goal for the Indian captain! Great movement from Shamsher there to draw out the foul from the Spanish defender in the circle and win a PC. Harmanpreet has all the time in the world to rifle the ball straight down the goal past the keeper.
Q1: India 0-0 Spain: Abhishek! Does so well to win possession at the Spanish corner. He then dances his way into the circle and wins a penalty corner for India. Jugraj is on PC duty. His drag flick has a lot of power but is well wide of the goal.
Q1: India 0-0 Spain: Such lovely stick-work from Sukhjeet on the right. Dances from left to right bamboozling the two Spanish defenders. However, the ball escapes him just a bit and he ends up conceding a free hit.
Q1: India 0-0 Spain: Manpreet, who was in brilliant form against New Zealand, jinxes past one Spaniard and then another but can’t get past a third. Spain spring on the attack and win a penalty corner of skipper Harmanpreet. Manpreet is the second runner and the ball is blasted onto his knee. He shakes it off and India come away with a free hit.
Q1: India 0-0 Spain: First chance for India. The ball is passed to Mandeep but he is unable to trap it and the ball rolls harmlessly past the Spanish goal.
We’re done with the national anthems and off we go!
Head to head since 2013:
5 November 2022:
Spain v New Zealand (men) – Kalinga Hockey Stadium, Bhubaneswar (IND)
New Zealand earned their first points of the season as they beat Spain 1-0 in shootout after full-time score was leveled at 1-1. It was an evenly contested match with both teams testing the world-class goalkeeping opposite ends. Neither keeper would break the end of the third quarter. New Zealand custodians Dominic Dixon and George Enersen were both superb in their goal as they saved many attempts made by the Spanish forwards. However, Joaquin Menini opened the scoring for Spain in the 47th minute with a rocket of a finish.
While it all looked done and dusted for Spain, a mistake from the Spanish defender inside their circle in the 60th minute proved to be a blunder as umpire Rawi Anbananthan signaled for a penalty stroke.
Kane Russell didn’t make any mistake from the spot to keep his team in it. The 1-1 draw sent the teams to a shootout for the bonus point and it was here that the goalkeeping heroics of Dixon came alive. Dixon denied all five Spanish shots on his goal, while Sean Findlay was the lone Black Sticks player to tally.
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of FIH Pro League, where the Indian men’s hockey team take on Spain in Odisha in their fourth match of the season.
On Friday, it was absolute goal-fest as Harmanpreet Singh and Co bounced back from 1-3 down to win 7-4.
India v New Zealand (men) – Kalinga Hockey Stadium, Bhubaneswar (IND)
It was a high-scoring game at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar as India beat New Zealand 7-4. The first 18 minutes of the game featured six goals as the forwards of both the teams put in some hard work to enter their opponents’ circle. After a goal by Simon Child in the second minute of the game, Indian skipper Harmanpreet Singh levelled it on his third PC attempt by flicking down to the right of Black Sticks keeper George Enersen.
Sam Lane and Jake Smith converted two more in the first quarter as NZL took a lead of two goals. It was then India’s time to make a comeback as they scored two goals in quick succession to level the score 3-3. It was debutant Karthi Selvam and Harmanpreet who pulled one each for the Men in Blue.
Karthi Selvam got his name on the scoresheet again with a brilliant steal from the NZL defender right in front of the shooting circle. India enjoyed the maximum possession as the scoresheet read 7-3 with just seven minutes remaining in the game. NZL pulled one back with a PC conversion by captain Nic Woods but it was too late as India got their second win of the FIH Hockey Pro League season.
— via FIH Media
Match 1 result: India - New Zealand: 4-3
Player of the Match: Mandeep Singh (India)
Match 3 result: India - Spain: 2-3
Player of the Match: Jordi Bonastre (Spain)
Match 4 result: India 7-4 New Zealand
Player of the Match: Hardik Singh (IND)
Screenshots in the blog courtesy: FIH Media / Disney+Hotstar