Hockey: India play out 1-1 draw against Germany in second match of Europe tour

The Indian men’s hockey team played out a 1-1 draw against Germany in the second game of its four-match tour of Europe.

Jarmanpreet opened the scoring for India in the fourth minute, while Martin Haner scored the equaliser for Germany.

High on confidence after a dominant 6-1 win in the opening match, world No 4 India started on an attacking note against the hosts and earned themselves a penalty corner in the 4th minute, which was converted by defender Jarmanpreet with a classic slap shot.

But the hosts got their chance to score an equaliser within the next two minutes with a PC but could not capitalise.

The visitors continued to be dominant in the second quarter, displaying better ball possession and creating opportunities with an intent to capitalise on the early lead. The quarter ended with the hosts putting pressure on the Indian men with strong man-to-man tackle.

The hosts backed their tactical play with some quick forays into the striking circle, resulting in them earning back-to-back PCs. It was in their second attempt when the experienced Martin Haner levelled the score 1-1 minutes ahead of the half-time break.

Continuing the momentum, the third quarter saw Germany keeping the ball in the Indian half to create scoring opportunities but, Indian defenders remained composed and set-up a well-structured defence that kept the German forward-line from converting.

A solid block from Surender Kumar at the very last minute saw the third quarter ending in a 1-1 stalemate.

The final quarter saw some nail-biting moments, with both the teams upping the ante before the match ended in a 1-1 deadlock.

“This match was a good experience for our players. It was a tough match and the team worked hard. Both teams created opportunities and I believe we will learn a lot from this game,” said India’s chief coach Graham Reid.

India will next play Great Britain on Saturday.