Solid start for India

India’s FIH Pro League debut

Match 1: IND 5-2 NED

Match 2: IND 3-3 NED (India win 3-1 in shootout)

India bag 5 points (2 points for shootout win), Netherlands 1 point (for draw before shootout loss). Including yesterday’s result, that makes it five points out of a possible six for India from their first two FIH Hockey Pro League matches - a very positive start.

Shootout!

Tense but India came out on top. What a fightback!

FT, Ind 3-3 Ned

We are headed into the shootout after a superb fightback by India, who were 1-3 down at HT. The winner will get two points. If you win a game outright, you get three.

Q4 1:00, Ind 3-3 Ned

The Dutch had a PC but Pathak saves. Not the cleanest flick but the Indian GK was alert.

Q4 2:00, Ind 3-3 Ned

Just two minutes left. The Dutch have paid the price for their passivity but India have been much more clinical in this quarter.

Q4 5:00, Ind 3-3 Ned

GOAL! Brilliant from Rupinder. From 3-1 down. India are level. That was unstoppable. He sent the GK the wrong way. Five mins left.

Q4 10:00, Ind 2-3 Ned

GOAL! Mandeep scores on the rebound. Big goal. He was alert and took the opportunity. Harmanpreet Singh sending a low drag-flick towards goal. Netherlands ‘keeper Sam van der Ven makes the save, but Mandeep fires home the rebound to halve the deficit.

Q4 begins, Ind 1-3 Ned

Manpreet is back and India need an early goal to lift their spirits. The Dutch just look like they want to keep possession.

Q3 ends, Ind 1-3 Ned

India have survived even with Manpreet missing most of Q3. A bit of a mini-triumph. The Dutch were a bit too passive after Manpreet went off. They never really ran at the Indian team.

Q3 5:00, Ind 1-3 Ned

Sreejesh comes up with a wonderful save to deny the Dutch from a Mink van der Weerden PC.

Q3 7:00, Ind 1-3 Ned

The Dutch have the possession but India seem content to stay deep in defence. They want to get through this period where they are a man down in the field.

Q3 11:00, Ind 1-3 Ned

Indian skipper Manpreet is off for 10 minutes. A yellow card. Big blow for India. He will almost miss the entire Q3. Dangerous play.

Q3 13:00, Ind 1-3 Ned

India win a penalty corner early in this third quarter, but the strike from Amit Rohidas is blocked by the Netherlands defence. Aggressive defence, good running.

Q3 begins, Ind 1-3 Ned

Q3 begins and there is just one question on everyone’s mind: can India fight their way back into the match? It won’t be easy but hockey is a fast, fast game. Things can change very quickly.

HT stats

Q2 ends, Ind 1-3 Ned

Wow. That changed quickly. India looked like they have the better chances but the Netherlands have the goals. Sometimes, it is all about how clinical you are in front of goal.

Q2, Ind 1-3 Ned: 4:00

Bjorn Kellerman with another FG for the Dutch. In less than a minute, the Netherlands have struck twice.

Q2, Ind 1-2 Ned: 4:00

Jeroen Hertzberger with an FG for the Dutch. Superb play this. The umpire went for a self video referral to check if everything is fine, and the goal is given.

Q2, Ind 0-1 Ned: 5:00

GOAL!! Lalit Upadhyay with an FG.

An immediate response from India! A fine poacher’s goal from Lalit Upadhyay, who made no mistake from close range this time around.

Q2, Ind 0-1 Ned: 6:00

Mink van der Weerden scores for the Dutch from a PC! Superb placement. High to the keeper’s right.

Q2, Ind 0-0 Ned: 9:00

There really hasn’t been much to choose between the two sides. Each time one thinks India is looking a little better, the Dutch come charging right back.

Q2 underway: 13:00

And the first solid chance of the quarter goes to India. The Dutch looked like they had started better but it was Akashdeep who had a great chance, only to be denied by the Dutch keeper.

Q1 ends

India had the better chances but no side has a goal to show for their efforts. A short pause before they are thrust back into the action.

Q1: 3.00

Tight game. Both India and Netherlands are employing a high press. As we saw yesterday, a couple of minutes can decide the victory. India need to keep their concentration up.

Q1: 7.00

First PC for India but Rupinder, who scored two goals yesterday, goes just wide off the left post. India are certainly having the better of the chances so far. The Dutch are clearly on the back foot for now.

Q1: 8.00

Another miss for Lalit! He could have had two goals so far! Awkward bounce though. It remains 0-0. Bright start by India.

Q1: 11.00

A big miss for Lalit! Just unable to turn the ball towards the goal. He had the space but just wasn’t able guide it correctly. The Dutch goalkeeper did well to close the angle.

Q1: 13.30

Yesterday, the Dutch conceded in the first 15 seconds. They have already done better than that today.

The line-ups

Sreejesh gets a start for India. Netherlands’ Floris Wortelboer is absent following his shoulder injury in yesterday’s fixture.

Anthems done!

Here we go. The roar that greeted the end of the Indian anthem tells one about the kind of support India can expect.

‘Today is the final’

We were aiming to fight from everything yesterday… we played pretty well but the numbers were pretty even. If yesterday was the semi-final, today is the final: India coach Graham Reid.

Highlights from the first game

India put on a superb show in the first against the Dutch.

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Too close to call

Little to choose between India and the Netherlands over the last 10 games.

16:15: Hello and welcome to the live updates of the second match of the FIH Pro League, once again featuring India and Netherlands. The hosts registered an emphatic win in the tournament opener, beating their opponents 5-2. Manpreet and Co were superb in the second half of the game, shutting down any hope of a comeback.

It was in the same venue where India’s hearts were broken in quarter-finals of the World Cup. It should be no surprise if there is another high-scoring contest in Bhubaneshwar. Under Graham Reid, the Indians have been more adventurous and thrive on creating pressure in the circle. Gurjant Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh, Mandeep and Lalit Upadhyay scored for the hosts in the first game.