India fell to a 2-3 defeat to Spain in its second FIH Pro League game at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Sunday.
India started the stronger side but wasn’t at its best as Spain didn’t allow the home side much joy to attack on the turnover.
India conceded nine penalty corners in the comeback win over New Zealand on Friday and here, too, against Spain struggled to reign in the numbers against the Spanish attack. The Men in Blue conceded seven penalty corners, from which they conceded twice.
Spain stepped up late at the end of the first quarter and India shot-stopper Krishan Pathak made a string of saves on the evening to thwart the away side, who had 13 shots on goal.
At the start of the second quarter, Spain scored from a penalty corner. PR Sreejesh made a save from the penalty corner injection but Spain kept the rebound inside the circle before De Ignacio-Simo Eduard swept it into the goal.
Then in the 26 th minute, Marc Miralles struck a powerful shot from a penalty corner, which Sreejesh got his knee to but couldn’t keep out. India, though, bounced back immediately. Skipper Harmanpreet Singh scored off a penalty corner strike to halve the deficit.
Spain threatened to score more but Pathak made a string of saves in the third quarter, which didn’t allow the Red Sticks to pull further ahead.
India kept pouring forward in search of the equaliser and it came through the brilliance of Abhishek. Harmanpreet pierced a pass into the circle, which Abhishek controlled and rolled it facing goal, before rifling a shot past Rafi Adrian.
Spain, however, struck 45 seconds later through Marc Reyne, who collected a pass inside the circle and struck a powerful reverse hit from a narrow angle for the win and three points.
RESULT: India 2 (Harmanpreet Singh 26’, Abhishek 54’) – 3 Spain (De Ignacio-Simo Eduard 16’, Marc Miralles 26’, Marc Reyne 56’)
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