Torneo del Centenario 2023 hockey: India hold world No. 1 Netherlands to 1-1 draw

The Indian men’s hockey team held world No. 1 Netherlands to a 1-1 draw in its second match of the four-nation Torneo del Centenario 2023 in Terrassa, Spain, on Wednesday.

A penalty corner from Harmanpreet Singh (12’) handed India the lead but the Dutch team found an equaliser through Jasper Brinkman (39’) to share the spoils.

The draw earned India their first point in the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation International Tournament 2023 following a 2-1 loss to Spain in the opener.

The Indian hockey team has one point from two matches and will need to win its final match on Friday to have any chance of reaching the final.

After an edgy start which saw both teams enjoy phases of possession, Harmanpreet Singh drew first blood with just over three minutes left in the first quarter. The Indian captain perfectly placed his penalty corner into the bottom corner and left Dutch keeper Visser Maurits rooted to his spot.

With a one-goal lead handy, India started the second quarter brightly and created a flurry of chances. However, Maurits made several good saves, including two from Harmanpreet Singh penalty corners, to ensure the deficit didn’t increase.

After spending a lot of the match on the backfoot, the Netherlands, world No. 1 in the current FIH hockey rankings, tried to press India, ranked fourth, higher up the pitch to gain a foothold in the contest.

Craig Fulton’s India team, however, adjusted well and fortified their defence while looking for quick breakaways. The Dutch carved out a good opportunity to equalise 10 minutes into the second quarter but Terrance Pieters fell just short of applying the decisive touch to a move from the right.

Despite the Netherlands dominating the closing minutes of the first half, India managed to take a 1-0 lead into the second period.

After changing sides, the Netherlands looked the more dominant of the two sides on the ball but continued being wasteful inside the opposition circle. However, the sustained pressure eventually paid off as Jasper Brinkman beat PR Sreejesh with a powerful penalty corner to draw his team level. Manpreet Singh came close to restoring India’s advantage in the dying seconds of the third quarter but couldn’t get past an excellent Maurits.

The game opened up considerably in the final quarters with both sides throwing caution to the wind and creating some chances. Neither team, however, managed to come up with the decisive final touch to materialise a goal.

The draw means India have not beaten the Netherlands in their last six meetings. India’s last victory over the Dutch came in January 2020.

India will play England in their next 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation International Tournament match on Friday.