That’s it from us tonight! Join us on Sunday at 7.10 pm IST as India take on Spain in their second match.

Mandeep Singh is rightly given the player of the match awarded. Won the penalty corner which Harmanpreet converted for 2-3. Showcased his predatory instincts for India’s third goal and then completed the comeback with a rocket of a goal.

Full time, India 4-3 New Zealand: India had more of the ball but it was New Zealand who created more chances. 21 circle penetrations to India’s 18. The Black Sticks also defended really well conceding only the solitary penalty corner. Coach Reid will not be pleased with his defence giving away nine PCs.

Full time, India 4-3 New Zealand: Whew! That was a breathless end to a brilliant opening match of the Pro League and India come away with a 4-3 win. Down 3-1 and then a man down in the third quarter, India fought back brilliantly to turn the match around.

Q4 - India 4-3 New Zealand: Lane shoots low and Pathak saves with his foot but the ball loops up and it’s another penalty corner. The second time around, Amit charges down Lane but the ball seems to come off his foot and it’s another PC. However, New Zealand bungle up while trapping the injection and India come away with the ball!

Q4 - India 4-3 New Zealand: New Zealand win a penalty corner with 34 seconds on the clock! The ball hits Amit Rohidas’ foot. Harmanpreet uses the referral but is unsuccessful.

Q4 - India 4-3 New Zealand: India retake the lead! What a rocket from Mandeep Singh! Drives into the circle and absolutely hammers the ball into the bottom corner! Stunning turnaround from India.

Q4 - India 3-3 New Zealand: India have raised the tempo now. Abhishek sends Sukhjeet through on goal. The latter however, trips, and the chances goes begging.

Q4 - India 3-3 New Zealand: India level! Sumit plays a delightful pass to Mandeep Mor who is charging in from the left. He shoots and Mandeep Singh gets the lightest of touches to lift the ball above the New Zealand goalkeeper!

Q4 - India 2-3 New Zealand: New Zealand win a penalty corner. Lane powers in a shot straight down the middle but Pathak simply swats it away.

Q4 - India 2-3 New Zealand: Simon Child comes closest to scoring in the fourth quarter. Gets on the end of a long ball close to goal and hits it straight at Pathak. In the resulting play, India win a free hit for a foul on Jarmanpreet.

Q4 - India 2-3 New Zealand: India get the fourth quarter underway and they will have to play with 10 players for at least seven of the final 15 minutes.

Q3 - India 2-3 New Zealand: New Zealand get another penalty corner from their previous one. This time, Sreejesh saves and the follow up is cleared away from the goalline. And that’s the end of the third quarter

Q3 - India 2-3 New Zealand: New Zealand win a penalty corner! Simon Child’s shot is saved by Sreejesh but the ball is loose in front of goal with Sam Hiha lurking. Sreejesh dives to clear it away but hits its straight at the backtracking Surender.

Q3 - India 2-3 New Zealand: Poor, poor play from Sumit. He had already been given a green card before and the umpire has had enough of his aggressive play and shows him the yellow card. India down to 10 players for 10 minutes

Q3 - India 2-3 New Zealand: Harmanpreet Singh scores! Brilliant work from Mandeep Singh to win a penalty stroke. Harmanpreet steps up and even though George Enersen dives the right way, the shot is just too powerful for him. Harmanpreet is up and running!

Q3 - India 1-3 New Zealand: New Zealand spring on the attack. Jugraj, the last defender for India, does really well to put his stick out and intercept the pass. New Zealand are all over India at the moment.

Q3 - India 1-3 New Zealand: New Zealand score! Immediately at the other end, New Zealand win a penalty corner! Lane aims to fire in between Sreejesh’s legs. The Indian is slow to close the gap and the ball nestles in the bottom corner.

Q3 - India 1-2 New Zealand: Penalty corner for India! Sukhjeet gets the ball in the circle on the left. He feints one way but loses the ball for a micro second. The Indian goes for the ball with Kane Russell. The ball goes behind and the umpire signals a penalty corner for deliberately putting the ball behind! New Zealand refer and the replays show the ball went out off Sukhjeet. The decision is reversed.

Q3 - India 1-2 New Zealand: New Zealand take the lead! Brilliant play from Sean Findlay and Simon Childs down the right. The pair play a quick one-two. Childs flicks the ball goalwards and Jake Smith flings himself to deflect the ball beyond Sreejesh.

Q3 - India 1-1 New Zealand: Sam Hiha has a shot at goal. Sreejesh makes himself big and saves it.

Q3 - India 1-1 New Zealand: First big chance of the match goes New Zealand’s way. Jake Smith is found at the far post with a pinpoint cross-field pass. Harmanpreet scampers to close the angle down and manages to rush Smith into his shot and India escape.

Q3 - India 1-1 New Zealand: India begin the second half. Mandeep flies down the right and passes to Abhishek. The Indian is given the tiniest of nudges by his marker and the ball goes past him. The second time around, Abhishek does well and wins a free hit on the right.

Graham Reid speaks at halftime: We controlled the game in Q1 as we had wanted to do. In Q2 we let them take control and let our basics down. We need to pick up our game, tight marking and what have you

Q2 - India 1-1 New Zealand: Halftime in Bhubaneshwar. New Zealand came back well late in the second quarter after India went ahead through Mandeep Mor. Sukhjeet, Abhishek and Dilpreet have been lively up front for India while Hardik, Nilakant and Manpreet have been solid in midfield.

Q2 - India 1-1 New Zealand: Sukhjeet comes close to giving India the lead! Beautiful pass from Abhishek as India spring on the counter. Sukhjeet gets the ball and looks behind to see if there is a teammate available. Changes his mind and shoots from a narrow angle. It’s hit straight at Dixon who almost fumbles it into his own goal.

Q2 - India 1-1 New Zealand: Another penalty corner for New Zealand. Lane fires the ball in but Pathak puts his body on the line. The ball falls to Simon Child who cannot control the ball cleanly and sends his attempt wide.

Q2 - India 1-1 New Zealand: New Zealand equalise! The Kiwis get their first penalty corner off Jarmanpreet Singh. Sam Lane’s shot is blocked in front of goal by Surender. The Kiwis review and replays show that the ball came off Surender’s foot. Penalty stroke for New Zealand. Lane finds the bottom corner.

Q2 - India 1-0 New Zealand: India’s passing has been quick and accurate under the Kiwi pressure. Dilpreet gets the ball in a dangerous position and cuts back inside before looking for Mandeep in the circle. The ball takes a deflection and behind for an long corner.

Q2 - India 1-0 New Zealand: Mandeep gets the ball on the left and dribbles past a Kiwi defender before playing in a pass to Abhishek. The pass is blocked but the youngster is quick to pounce on the loose ball and fires in a shot towards goal. Looked like it hit his own teammate and the Kiwis clear.

Q2 - India 1-0 New Zealand: So close to an equaliser! A beautiful pass from Simon Child from distance towards the far post. Sam Hiha dives in to get a touch but can only loop the ball over the goal.

Q1 - India 1-0 New Zealand: India score! Mandeep Mor scores the first goal of the 2022-23 FIH Men’s Pro League! A good pass Nilakanta Sharma to find Mor free on the right. The 23-year-old had all the time in the world to take a touch and blast the ball beyond Dominic Dixon. That was the final attack of the first quarter.

Q1 - India 0-0 New Zealand: The first penalty corner goes India’s way but Shamsher bungles up the in ball and the chance is wasted

Q1 - India 0-0 New Zealand: Manpreet finds himself outnumbered 3 to 1 and loses the ball. With the Kiwis sprinting away, he puts in a good tackle and regains possession. Abhishek is sent free down the right and he looks to cut back with Dilpreet and Raheel waiting but his pass is intercepted.

Q1 - India 0-0 New Zealand: First major involvement from the debutant Raheel. Gets on the end of a Hardik long ball and sprints in from the left. Fires in a low cross but does not find any teammates.

Q1 - India 0-0 New Zealand: Good awareness from Sreejesh to get down low and save a deflected long-range attempt. New Zealand have had more possession in front of goal so far.

Q1 - India 0-0 New Zealand: Sukhjeet and Dilpreet combine well down the right but the latter’s reverse pass doesn’t find an Indian shirt. Moments later Sumit tries his luck from distance but it’s way off target.

Q1 - India 0-0 New Zealand: Both sides begin by exchanging possession in the opening few minutes but neither has managed to penetrate the shooting circle.

New Zealand get season four of the FIH Men’s Pr League underway!

Newly-elected Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey ushers Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to meet both teams. The Indian and New Zealand national anthems ring out and fireworks light up the night sky.

Team News: Mohammed Raheel, who was the top scorer and best player in India’s victorious Hockey5s campaign earlier this year, makes his senior debut for India.

India: PR Sreejesh, Harmanpreet (C), Jarmanpreet, Jugraj, Surender, Hardik, Manpreet, Raheel, Shamsher, Abhishek, Mandeep

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Indian hockey. The 2022-’23 FIH Men’s Pro League kicks off in Bhubaneswar as India take on New Zealand in the opening match. Back from a break after clinching silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, India, under Harmanpreet Singh, will look to build on their impressive showing in the 2021-22 Pro League where they finished third.

India hold a winning record against New Zealand having won 22, drawn five and lost 15 matches. The last time these two sides met was at the Tokyo Olympics group stages where a Harmanpreet Singh brace and a goal from Rupinder Pal Singh helped India secure a 3-2 win. New Zealand, like their neighbours Australia, did not participate in the previous Pro League season due to travel restrictions brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. Spain are the other team in this three-country mini-tournament in Odisha.

Indian squad for FIH Pro League matches against New Zealand and Spain:

Goalkeepers: Krishan Bahadur Pathak, PR Sreejesh

Defenders: Jarmanpreet Singh, Surender Kumar, Harmanpreet Singh (Captain), Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh, Mandeep Mor, Nilam Sanjeep Xess

Midfielders: Sumit, Manpreet Singh (Vice-captain), Hardik Singh, Moirangthem Rabichandra Singh, Shamsher Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, Rajkumar Pal, Mohd. Raheel Mouseen

Forwards: S. Karthi, Mandeep Singh, Abhishek, Dilpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh

Screenshots in the blog courtesy: FIH Media / Disney+Hotstar