Bilateral Hockey Series: India Beat Germany 5-3, But Lose Series In A 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 in New Delhi 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.

India kept up the pressure and secured their first penalty corner in the next minute but the variation didn't work out well.

The Indians secured another penalty corner in the next minute but Manpreet Singh couldn't stop the push.

The Germans secured a penalty corner in the 12th minute but Lukas Windfeder shot wide.

Minutes later, it was India's turn to earn a penalty corner and the hosts went for a beautiful variation