India defeat Germany, lose series in shootout

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 here 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.

Trailing by a goal, the Indians came out with more purpose and vigour after the change of ends. The Indians finally found the net from penalty corners as Harmanpreet converted two in succession with a minute’s gap. 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.