FIH Men's Hockey Pro League 2023-24: India and Belgium play out exciting 2-2 draw, hosts win shootout bonus point in Antwerp
The Indian men's hockey team played out an exciting 2-2 draw in an FIH Hockey Pro League encounter against Belgium before losing the shootout on Saturday, May 25.
Araijeet Singh Hundal gave his team an early lead goal from open play before Alexander Hendrickx's drag-flick helped Felix Denayer restore parity at the stroke of half-time.
Florent van Aubel scored off a short corner to give Belgium the lead in the final quarter, but Sukhjeet Singh's brilliant field goal forced a shootout in which the home side triumphed to pick up a bonus point.
Krishan Pathak was called to guard the Indian goal for the first time in the competition in Antwerp as both teams got a measure of the other in the first five minutes.
Abhishek and Sanjay combined to manufacture a penalty corner for India in the 9th minute but Vincent Vanasch who returned to the team for the second-leg match padded the drag-flick away.
Vanasch foiled Abhishek again but had no answer to Hundal's shot from close range off an assist from Sukhjeet. Hundal's first senior international goal gave the Indians a vital one-goal lead in the 11th minute.
An amazing save from Pathak helped his team maintain the slender advantage after Cedric Charlier had a crack at the goal towards the end of the opening quarter.
Mandeep Singh earned India their second short corner in the 20th minute but Vanasch had no problem stopping a straight drag-flick from Jugraj Singh while the follow-up effort was run down by Victor Wegnez.
Cedric Charlier's reverse hit sailed across the face of the goal, out of reach of two Belgian sticks before Abhishek's shot hit the post in the 28th minute.
Hundal nearly scored a brace but Vanasch came up with an incredible save with a minute left for half-time.
Alexander Hendrickx was on hand to take Belgium's first penalty corner in the 30th minute. Felix Danayer scored the equalizer from a rebound off the follow-up short corner after Krishan Pathak had padded away Hendrickx's drag-flick.
The Belgians earned a short corner for a dangerous ball despite Sumit's referral and scored the second goal in a fashion very similar to the first in the 50th minute. PR Sreejesh who replaced Pathak in goal saved the drag-flick but could not deal with Aubel's rebound.
A diving opportunistic effort from Sukhjeet Singh off a Harmanpreet assist helped India score their second with just over four minutes left on the clock. Vivek Sagar Prasad,, Abhishek, and Araijeet missed in the shootout allowing Belgium a 3-1 win in the Hockey Pro League game.
India looks to finish Hockey Pro League campaign on a high ahead of Paris Olympics
The Indian men's hockey team have had a mixed campaign in the FIH Hockey Pro League thus far with three outright wins, three shootout wins, three shootout losses and two outright losses in the 11 matches played thus far.
India, who currently have 18 points from 11 matches in the Hockey Pro League, travel to London to play Great Britain and Germany next week.
Apart from bolstering their preparations for the upcoming Paris Olympics, the Indian men will also be hoping for a good finish in the ongoing Pro League where they are currently placed third behind Australia and the Netherlands.
The Indians take on Argentina in Antwerp in their next Hockey Pro League match on Sunday.