Indian men's hockey team plays out 1-1 draw against Germany

Jarmanpreet opened the scoring for India in the fourth minute, while Martin Haner scored the equaliser for Germany as the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

Surender Kumar's solid block at the very last minute helped India earn a draw against Germany.

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

 

High on confidence after a dominating 6-1 win in the opening match, World No.4 India started on an attacking note against the host and earned itself a penalty corner in the fourth minute, which was converted by defender Jarmanpreet with a classic slap shot.

Within the following two minutes, the host also bounced back and got its chance to score an equaliser with a Penalty Corner (PC) but could not capitalise.

The visitor continued to be dominant in the second quarter, displaying better ball possession and creating opportunities with an intent to capitalise on the early lead.

 

However, the quarter ended with the host putting pressure on the Indian men with strong man-to-man tackle.

Germany backed its tactical play with some quick forays into the striking circle, resulting in the team earning back-to-back PCs.

It was in its 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.