6.50 pm: That will be all from us tonight for the first of India two matches against Belgium. Before we sign off, here’s a confirmation of how things stand in the FIH Pro League (men). India can catch up with Belgium with a win tomorrow. The match starts against at 5 pm IST. Join us then.
FULL TIME STATS: Belgium clearly dominated possession and other key statistics but it was India who got the better of the world No 1 in the stat that matters the most. India also move on to 8 points from 3 matches, behind just Belgium on the table.
FULL TIME: INDIA 2-1 BELGIUM
Player of the match is Krishan Pathak for his goalkeeping, he was as good if not better than Sreejesh today. The goalkeepers were the heroes of the night for India.
FULL TIME: Dilpreet ridicuolously got himself a green card to put India under pressure for the last 3 minutes and India missed a golden chance to score a third. But Sreejesh to India’s rescue! Superb result against the world No 1 for India.
Q4 – INDIA 2-1 BELGIUM: SREEJESH SAVES! INDIA HAVE DEFEATED WORLD NO 1 BELGIUM!
Q4 – INDIA 2-1 BELGIUM: The final play of the regulation time is going to be a PC for Belgium. They will have as many takes from here as they can force India to concede.
Q4 – INDIA 2-1 BELGIUM: Final seconds, India are hanging on by a thread! AND IT IS A PC FOR BELGIUM!
Q4 – INDIA 2-1 BELGIUM: Less than a minute to go and somehow Belgium are still in this.
Q4 – INDIA 2-1 BELGIUM: Oh brilliant defending by the world champs. Great rushing.
Q4 – INDIA 2-1 BELGIUM: PC INDIA AND BELGIUM DONT HAVE A GK!
Q4 – INDIA 2-1 BELGIUM: Ninety seconds left on the clock. Belgium are playing without a GK. AND DILPREET LOOKS LIKE A NERVOUS MAN AS HE SHOULD!
Q4 – INDIA 2-1 BELGIUM: India managed to keep their lead. SCRAMBLE IN THE BOX from a PC. But nothing decisive by the visitors. Another PC, another SAVE BY SREEJESH!
Q4 – INDIA 2-1 BELGIUM: OH DEAR! Green card for Dilpreet and India will be finishing this match with 10 men. INDISCIPLINE! This is exactly what Reid wanted to avoid.
Q4 – INDIA 2-1 BELGIUM: CHANCE INDIA!!! A lovely release from the midfield lets Gurjant run free at the Belgian defence down the left and his pass almost finds Ramandeep at the far post! SO CLOSE!
Q4 – INDIA 2-1 BELGIUM: SAVE SREEJESH! Brilliant from the Great Wall once again. Great reading of the game as he comes out and cuts the angle down.
Q4 – INDIA 2-1 BELGIUM: Rupinder Singh lets his stick fly but no foul on the Indian defence, Sreejesh has to be alert in the resulting Belgium attack. 5 minutes and 30 secs left.
Q4 – INDIA 2-1 BELGIUM: India are struggling to push out of their own half. An error from Harmanpreet proves costly almost but the Red Lions cannot make the most of the chance.
Q4 – INDIA 2-1 BELGIUM: Less than 10 minutes to go in the match now...
Q4 – INDIA 2-1 BELGIUM: India are on the backfoot as expected now but they have a lead to defend. Can they avoid conceding late like they tend to do some times?
Q4 – INDIA 2-1 BELGIUM: 12 minutes left in the match. A few loose passes from the world No 1 in the past few minutes. Belgium come forward again and Sreejesh makes another save! Expect a barrage on the Indian goal now.
Q4 – INDIA 2-1 BELGIUM: Back to back PCs for Belgium but India hold strong. The visitors unhappy with the refereeing but they don’t have a review to make it official.
Q4 – INDIA 2-1 BELGIUM: GOALLLLLL INDIA! No denying the hosts this time. The drag flick from Harman is deflected and falls to Ramandeep Singh who was making his way to the goal-mouth after the PC injection. And it is a poacher’s finish past Vanasch! Brilliant from the Indian forward.
Q4 – INDIA 1-1 BELGIUM: Ramandeep does well inside the circle to win a PC early in the final quarter for India.
6.16 pm: Three quarters have been played in the first match between the two teams and Belgium would be unhappy that they have managed to score just once despite all the domination. Can India hold on for last 15 min?
Q3 – INDIA 1-1 BELGIUM: End of third quarter. That is another exciting 15-minutes of play in this match. Plenty of action at both ends but it is the world No 1 with the strike that mattered. A lovely variation from the PC.
Q3 – INDIA 1-1 BELGIUM: SAVE PATHAK! He has been in terrific form in front of the goal today and he helps India keep parity. Belgium cannot make the most of the rebound. A minute to go in the penultimate quarter.
Q3 – INDIA 1-1 BELGIUM: NO GOAL! The review by the umpire shows that the ball had not left the circle from the injection. Good reason to overrule the goal. IT’s a bad miss by India after what a strong strike by Manpreet Singh.
Q3 – INDIA 1-1 BELGIUM: India are celebrating but this is a referral by the umpire to check goal. We wait.
Q3 – INDIA 1-1 BELGIUM: Gurjant finds himself in space down the right flank but his control and pass into the center is a bit wild. Chance goes missing. India then have a PC with a little over 4 mins left. Clumsy tackle on Manpreet.
Q3 – INDIA 1-1 BELGIUM: Bit of a lull in the game arguably for the first time. Both teams happy to play it safe for now. Just over 6 mins left in the quarter.
Q3 – INDIA 1-1 BELGIUM: Coming ahead with purpose now, are the Indian players. This is good from the hosts, keeping the pressure on Belgium defence. Hardik does well down the left flank and eventually India force a save from Vanasch.
Q3 – INDIA 1-1 BELGIUM: First PC for India. Good rush by Belgium and it is saved. Harmanpreet did not get enough height on the drag flick.
Q3 – INDIA 1-1 BELGIUM: GOAL, BELGIUM! This was on the cards. After a series of wasted PCs in the first half, Belgium go for a variation with their first of the second half. Boccard rifles one into the top of the net. Superb strike!
Q3 – INDIA 1-0 BELGIUM: Pathak is back in the goal for India in Q3. It’s another PC for Belgium early doors.
Q3 – INDIA 1-0 BELGIUM: BIG CHANCE! Belgium latch on to a loose pass in the defence by India but cannot convert the chance. That’s a poor miss.
Q3 – INDIA 1-0 BELGIUM: Belgium coach happy with the chances his side are creating while Reid says India need to do more up top.
FIRST HALF STATS:
HALF TIME: INDIA 1-0 BELGIUM: It was not quite one-way traffic as India did have the Belgium defence scrambling clear a couple of times. But 6 circle penetrations for India compared to Belgium’s 21 tells you the story. The possession evened out towards the end with India finishing the half with 46% of the ball.
HALF TIME: INDIA 1-0 BELGIUM
India have managed to hang on somehow. Krishan Pathak in the first quarter, the great wall Sreejesh in the second: some sensational goalkeeping by India today as they have held on to the lead that Mandeep Singh gave them in the 2nd minute. Belgium must be wondering how on earth they have not scored so far!
Final seconds of the half...
Q2 — India 1-0 Belgium: SAVE SREEJESH! THE GREAT WALL! Superb right-hand save by the Indian veteran as Belgium go close to scoring their first. India clear the danger. Great goalkeeping.
Q2 — India 1-0 Belgium: Gurjant with some sensational stick work down the left flank and then the byline but his cutback is cleared by Belgium. India are starting to ask questions of the Belgium defence now.
Q2 — India 1-0 Belgium: CHANCE INDIA! A lovely counter started from the defence by Germanpreet but a combination of a late defending stick and GK Vanasch thwart India. Best chance since the goal for India. Sreejesh called into action again at the other end as we head into the last 6 minutes of the half.
Q2 — India 1-0 Belgium: Midway through the second quarter, the story is more of the same. Belgium dominating possession, India defending deep. No clear chances going forward for the hosts in this quarter yet.
Q2 — India 1-0 Belgium: SAVE! Sreejesh this time! Towards his right, he puts his right leg out and saved it well.
Q2 — India 1-0 Belgium: It is indeed Sreejesh between the sticks now for India as Belgium win another PC. Can they finally convert?
Q2 — India 1-0 Belgium:Still waiting to confirm if Sreejesh has made his way to the pitch as India usually rotate GKs. Belgium thwarted again by whoever is between the goal for India.
Q2 — India 1-0 Belgium: Second quarter underway. Harmanpreet, by the way, got a green card towards the end of Q1. India playing with 10 men now.
Q1 — India 1-0 Belgium: HOOTER GOES! End of the first quarter where India scored early again. Mandeep Singh’s 2nd minute goal the difference between the two sides. Belgium have been dominant, but India were decisive.
Q1 — India 1-0 Belgium: SAVE, PATHAK!!! WOW. Sensational from the Indian No 2. It looked like a certain goal for Belgium but the Indian GK dives and prevents the equaliser from close range. PC for Belgium though and that is saved as well in the dying seconds of Q1.
Q1 — India 1-0 Belgium: What a chance for India! A decisive counter by the hosts and a last-ditch intervention by the Belgium defence keeps the scoreline 1-0.
Q1 — India 1-0 Belgium: It’s an early evening off for the video umpire today. Both teams have lost their referrals. He can chill and enjoy a good match of hockey as Belgium fail to convert their fifth PC. It’s actually a good late save by Pathak.
Q1 — India 1-0 Belgium: India had a sensational game with the reviews against Netherlands, and they have made their first review here today after BEL are awarded a PC.
Q1 — India 1-0 Belgium: Seven minutes into the match and the ebbs and flows continue. Belgium not dominating possession as much now though, India starting to put together a few moves.
Q1 — India 1-0 Belgium: Before and after the goal, it has been all Belgium in this opening quarter but India won’t complain with the lead. High-tempo to the game.
Q1 — India 1-0 Belgium: It’s like we are stuck in a time loop at the moment. And (by the fourth count in our book) India finally get to move forward. The PC is hit wide.
Q1 — India 1-0 Belgium: Some confusion over the whole thing but ultimately it is a penalty corner, not stroke. Belgium lose their review.
Correction: It’s Krishan Pathak in goal for India. Still waiting for a verdict on the review.
Q1 — India 1-0 Belgium: A couple of penalty corners back-to-back for Belgium. Looks like a sensational save from Sreejesh has kept Belgium at bay off the second time. Is this a penalty stroke though? Desperate defending by India. Video review underway.
Q1 — India 1-0 Belgium: GOALLLL INDIA! It’s another early goal for the hosts. Just like they did against Netherlands, India have taken the early lead. Dilpreet with the shot on the turn and then Mandeep gets a deflection from a yard away. GK had no chance.
Q1: India 0-0 Belgium: India almost concede in the 2nd minute. Belgium cannot convert a field goal after a cut back from the right flank.
Q1: India 0-0 Belgium: Here we go at the Kalinga Stadium...
5.02 pm: Well, that’s an interesting way to announce the starting XI.
5.00 pm: National anthems done in Bhubaneshwar.
4.57 pm: Last time the India and Belgium men met at the Kalinga stadium it was a 2-2 draw.
4.53 pm: The venue is Kalinga Stadium again. It is not just India’s favourite hockey venue, it is also the turf where the Belgium men were crowned WORLD CHAMPIONS back in 2018. This promises to be a cracker.
India have their task cut out when they host world champions Belgium in their second round of the FIH Pro League, starting in Bhubaneswar at 5 pm today.
After skipping the first edition of the tournament in 2019, India made a dream debut in the League, collecting five points from the opening tie against the Netherlands.
World No 5 India thrashed Netherlands 5-2 in the opening match of the two-leg tie before beating the Dutchmen 3-1 in a shootout after both the teams were locked 3-3 at the end of regulation time in the second match here last month.
But since then, the Manpreet Singh-led side has not played in the league and have slipped to No 5 in the points table.
Belgium are currently leading the standings with 11 points from four games, while Netherlands are placed second with seven points from as many matches. Australia are placed third with six points from four games, followed by Germany and India.