BARCELONA: The Indian men's hockey team notched up a 2-1 win over reigning FIH Hockey Pro League champions Netherlands 2-1 in the third-fourth placing match here at the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation - International Tournament on Sunday.
Captain Harmanpreet Singh (15th) and Dilpreet Singh (50th) scored in India's hard-fought victory, while Thierry Brinkman (25th) scored the lone goal for the Dutch side.
Interestingly, all goals came from penalty corners. India got off to a cautious start, not allowing the Dutch to make easy forays into the striking circle.
The team's forwards, on the other hand, stitched together a clever strategy that forced the Dutch defenders to make errors. The tactic worked when India managed their first PC with just 30 seconds left for the first hooter.
In-form Indian skipper Harmanpreet, who had to re-take the drag flick after the first attempt was stopped by the Netherlands' first rusher, was on target fetching his team an important 1-0 lead in the 15th minute.
The following quarter saw the Netherlands bounce back when Brinkman converted a well-executed penalty corner in the 20th minute. The equaliser did not deter the Indian team as it remained determined in its pursuit to end the campaign on a winning note.
While no goals came through in the third quarter, there were some tense moments in the fourth quarter when the match looked like it would go into a penalty shootout.
While the Netherlands squandered a few opportunities to score, the Indian side did well to hold its nerves and convert from a PC in the 50th minute.
While Amit Rohidas' drag was padded away by the Dutch goalie Mauritius Visser, India's fearless striker Dilpreet Singh picked up a fine rebound to push the ball into the post.
The 2-1 lead increased pressure on the Dutch side who looked for ways to score an equaliser.
In the final moments, they were successful in earning back-to-back PCs but India did well to defend their score and finish on a winning note.
The Indian team will arrive in Chennai in the early hours of Tuesday morning to play the much-awaited Asian Champions Trophy starting August 3 at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium.