Skipper Harmanpreet Singh and Sukhjeet Singh scored a brace each to hand India a 5-3 win over world champions Germany in the second hockey Test but the hosts lost the two-match series via shoot-out at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday. Elian Mazkour (7th, 57th minutes) scored twice for Germany, who took the early lead, while Henrik Mertgens (60th) was the other goal getter for the visitors. But India turned the table in the second half, with goals from Sukhjeet Singh (34th and 48th), skipper Harmanpreet Singh (42nd and 43rd) and Abhishek (45th) to level the two-match series.
Germany had won the first Test 2-0 on Wednesday.
In the shoot-out, which India lost 1-3, Harmanpreet, Abhishek and Mohammed Raheel missed while Aditya was the lone scorer.
India custodian Krishan Bahadur Pathak made two fine saves, but couldn’t save his side from losing in the shoot-out.
The Indians started on the front foot and created early chances but failed to breach the German defence.
It was Germany who took the lead in the seventh minute through Elian Mazkour, who scored with a fierce reverse shot from the right corner.
Two minutes later, debutant Aditya Arjun Lalage came close to scoring his first goal for India but his shot from a Jarmanpreet Singh pass was saved by German goalkeeper Joshua Nnaji Onyekwue.
India kept up the pressure and secured their first penalty corner in the next minute but the variation didn’t work out well.
The Indians secured another penalty corner in the next minute but Manpreet Singh couldn’t stop the push.
The Germans secured a penalty corner in the 12th minute but Lukas Windfeder shot wide.
Minutes later, it was India’s turn to earn a penalty corner and the hosts went for a beautiful variation with Amit Rohidas laying it up for Harmanpreet, whose ground hit was saved by the German keeper.
Soon, Germany too secured a penalty corner but the Indians defended well.
It was raining penalty corners as India got two more in quick time but wasted both the chances.
Two minutes from half-time, Germany got another penalty corner but failed to capitalise on that.
Trailing by a goal, the Indians came out with more purpose and vigour after the change of ends, and four minutes into the third quarter secured three back-to-back penalty corners but wasted all.
The Indians finally found the net from penalty corners as Harmanpreet converted two in succession with a minute’s gap. He first found the top right corner of the German goal and then scored a minute later with a powerful grounded flick.
It was raining goals for a pumped-up India, thereafter, with Abhishek finding the back of the net minutes later with a fierce shot from the right corner to hand the home team a 4-1 lead.
The Indians continued with the same intensity in the fourth and final quarter and extended their lead in the 48th minute through an unmarked Sukhjeet.
Sukhjeet received a long pass from the deep and sped away with only the onrushing German goalkeeper to beat and he did that perfectly with a diving reverse hit.
The fighting Germans didn’t give up and secured another penalty corner in the 54th minute but failed to threaten the Indian goal.
Germany, however, pulled one back three minutes from the final hooter when Mazkour received a ball inside the ‘D’, brilliantly turned to dodge an Indian defender and slotted home the ball past Indian goalkeeper Suraj Karkera.
The Germans continued the high press and got another goal back just at the stroke of the final hooter through Henrik Mertgens.
With both the sides winning a match each, the series winner was decided via shoot-out.
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