Amstelveen, Jun 10: The Indian men’s team went down fighting 2-3 against the Netherlands in a thrilling FIH Hockey Pro League 2024/25 at the Wagener Hockey Stadium here.

Abhishek (20') and Jugraj Singh (54') netted a goal each for India, while Thijs van Dam (24’), Tjep Hoedemakers (33’), and Jip Janssen (57’) were the goalscorers for the Netherlands.

India began the first quarter with a clear intent to control the game, maintaining possession and executing quick passes to penetrate the opposition’s defence early on. In the sixth minute, forward Abhishek nearly put India ahead when he found space inside the D and unleashed a powerful shot that narrowly missed the target.

The Netherlands responded with a switch to counter-attacking play, creating a few scoring chances of their own. However, the Indian defence held firm under pressure, calmly absorbing the attacks while continuing to challenge the Dutch backline at the other end. Despite the fast-paced, end-to-end action, the opening quarter ended goalless.

The second quarter saw the Netherlands ramp up their intensity, adopting a more aggressive approach and nearly taking the lead with two close chances in quick succession. But India remained composed, sticking to their possession-based strategy and dictating the tempo through midfield control.

India also won their first penalty corner of the match, but Harmanpreet Singh’s shot was deflected out. India’s persistence finally paid off when Abhishek (20th), playing his milestone 100th international match, broke free from his marker and finished clinically after receiving a perfectly timed pass from Shilanand Lakra, giving India a 1-0 lead.

However, the advantage was short-lived as just four minutes later, Dutch skipper Thierry Brinkman showcased his class with a dazzling run into the circle before setting up Thijs van Dam (24’), who calmly slotted the ball home to make it 1-1. The remainder of the quarter saw both sides probing for openings, but the defences held firm as the teams went into the half-time break level.

The Netherlands came out with intent in the third quarter, pressing high and disrupting India’s rhythm by intercepting passes in midfield. Their aggressive approach paid off in when Floris Wortelboer delivered a sharp cross from the left flank to Tjep Hoedemakers (33’), whose tame shot narrowly slipped past Indian goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak to give the hosts a 2-1 lead.

Buoyed by the goal, the Netherlands maintained the pressure and earned their first penalty corner of the match, but failed to convert. India, meanwhile, shifted to a counter-attacking strategy and earned a flurry of penalty corners in quick succession, yet couldn’t find the equaliser. The penultimate quarter concluded with the Netherlands holding a slender 2-1 advantage.

The fourth and final quarter saw India intensify their efforts, stringing together quick passes and making several entries into the Dutch circle in pursuit of an equaliser. With under seven minutes left on the clock, Abhishek came agonisingly close to scoring again as he beat his marker and unleashed a powerful shot that struck the side netting.

India continued to pile on the pressure and were eventually rewarded with their fourth penalty corner of the match. This time, Jugraj Singh (54’) stepped up and made no mistake, hammering the ball into the net to level the score at 2-2.

Moments later, India had a golden chance to take the lead when Lalit Kumar Upadhyay found himself one-on-one with Dutch goalkeeper Maurits Visser. Attempting a cheeky scoop over the keeper, Lalit was denied by Visser’s alert reflexes.

The Netherlands responded swiftly and made the most of a penalty corner earned in the dying moments of the game as Jip Janssen (57’) converted it to restore the home side’s lead. India threw everything forward in the final minutes, but the Dutch defence held firm to seal a thrilling 3-2 victory.

Notably, the match marked a significant milestone for forward Abhishek, who was playing his 100th international match for India since making his senior team debut in 2022. The 25-year-old has been a vital part of the Indian attack, scoring 39 international goals to date.

Abhishek's contributions have been instrumental in India’s major successes, including the Gold medal at the Hero Asian Champions Trophy China 2024, Bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and Gold at the Asian Games Hangzhou 2022.

India are currently fourth in the points tally having accumulated 15 points from 10 games. They will be next seen in action against Argentina on Wednesday.

(IANS)

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