FIH Hockey Pro League, India vs Netherlands, Highlights: Hardik stars in 1-1 draw against world No 1; Dutch take shootout bonus

Performance-wise, our target was met as the team played very well today: India captain Harmanpreet Singh

Player of the match is Thierry Brinkman. 

And De Mol doesn't miss. The Netherlands clinch the bonus point. India can be very happy with the point from the draw after a great match against a top side. 

Telgenkamp takes his time and slots it past Pathak. Shamsher next up and it is swept aside by the keeper, no reviews left. Derk Meijer keeps Netherlands ahead. 

Pathak needs to step up for India. And he comes up with a huge stick tackle. De Geus Jonas is not challenging. Pathak is great with his stick work. Lalit next and no nutmeg this time, but a fine dribble and finish. We are back level. 

Brinkman with another well-taken goal. Pathak doesn't get anything on it. Sukhjeet goes next and it is a miss. He reviews it though. Didn't look convinced. And India lose their referral and trail 1-2 as well. 

Two lovely finishes to start off. Young Araijeet with a cool lifted finish. 

It will be Krishan Pathak in shootout for India, so it wasn't the last of him we saw at the end of Q3. Sreejesh with dance moves as the crowd get ready. 

And for the third time this season, India go into a shootout. They have won both their previous ones on the brilliance of Sreejesh, including one against the Dutch. What a match though, the players are smiles at the end. Really high-quality contest. 

A fair few replays being looked at. But the on-field decision stays. No PC, India lose their review. Did they ask for a wrong thing? The commentators reckon so. And now the final hooter goes. 

Oh wow. Abhishek with a fine steal inside the circle and it is a great chance that breaks down. India are reviewing this. 

Massive tackle from Amit Rohidas as the Dutch pressed from the left. The World No 1 are pressing high late on. India trying to break out of it through aerials again. And a green card for Dutch with 40 seconds to go, is there a late twist? 

Brinkman and Peters with a delightful attacking move for the Dutch, great 1-2 passing but the move breaks down in the end. India then go aerial again, it's been a fascinating clash of passing styles. 150 seconds to go. 

The madness of the first rush is PC defence never ceases to amaze me. Manpreet Singh unfortunate to lose his knee guard and a drag flick smacks him there. Netherlands lose their review. India hang on. 

Manpreet with a brilliant rush. And the ball slams into his knee. Dutch review again. 

Ouch, the ball comes off Sreejesh's pad from a save and hits Koen on the face. That was painful. But the Dutch do have a PC after reviewing it for danger. Given. 

Into the last five minutes. A couple of minutes back, Manpreet Singh – with a rare foray forward – produced an ABSOLUTELY SENSATIONAL piece of skill to turn and dribble between two defenders. 

#Hockey #FIHProLeague

If the Dutch don't dominate the last few minutes to win this, a strong case for another Player of the Match for Hardik Singh. He has been so, so good!https://t.co/CL56C6F8eQ

— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) February 21, 2024

Once again Hardik Singh with a lovely run through the middle and a smooth pass out wide to Harman, who pings one into the center but a bit too much to control. 

Neither side is going all out at the start of this final quarter. Bit of a chess match at the moment. "Hardik has been so good, real high class game this," says Mihir from the venue. 

Here we go then, final quarter. Is there an outright winner tonight? Feels like there are more goals in this. 

A mistake nearly costs India there at the end of Q3, Koen Bijen gets the shot out and Pathak comes up with a HUGE save for possibly his last act of the night. 

'My motto is simple: If I have to sacrifice myself to help my teammate, then I am happy to do that,' says Hardik Singh. The midfielder is here, there and everywhere for Craig Fulton's India. Read more by Mihir Vasavda here:

FIH Hockey Pro League: How India’s Hardik Singh found ‘himmat’ from Kobe Bryant and learnt mental fortitude from Paddy Upton to rebuild himself after injury

There is the equaliser and it is the brilliant Hardik Singh. The Jugraj drag flick is saved, the ball breaks to Gurjant who hits the ball back into the danger area and it turns out to be the perfect pass for Hardik who finishes from close range.

Oh wow! Hardik with another sensational aerial ball and Lalit with the most incredible of stick work to control the ball. India have another PC. Jugraj finds the back of the net but the whistle has gone, another PC.

Oh super aerial from Vivek from midfield into the circle. Abhishek unable to control it properly but Gurjant is there to back him up and then puts in a dangerous ball. Lalit not able to finish. Good chance goes begging. 

Harmanpreet's fiick is deemed to be higher than first-rusher's knee. The Indian captain wanted a retake, not given. And he's not happy with that decision, wry smile against the umpires. 

We had mentioned in the first half that Mandeep should have perhaps gone for goal from a good position. This time he makes a superb run down the left and then finds the PC. India's first of the match. 

Unfortunately no coaches interview at half time. 

Hardik Singh once again immense for India when it comes to picking up attacking tempo. Harmanpreet Singh actually ventured forward more than I have seen in memory, came close for a field goal too. India did better in Q2, that early goal will annoy them. India yet to win a PC in this match. Something that Dutch coach had said before their first meeting. 

That is the half-time in Rourkela. Fulton should actually be relatively pleased with how Q2 went, but they are trailing once again to a soft goal that. 

Another nice Hardik run through the middle but the Dutch have three defenders marking him! That's how much he is marked by the opponents. 

NO GOAL! That is harsh on India, The video umpire says no advice possible, whether the ball hit Sukhjeet's arm or body. The on-field decision was no goal, so that's the decision that stays. 

More Indian possession, as they move tbe ball side to side. And finally, Hardik ups the tempo through the middle, a brilliant turn of pace and then finds Sanjay on the right. Looked like India did score from the cutback but the whistle has been blown. India review though 

Every time the Dutch win the ball back they look dangerous on transition, their passing speed is just a joy to watch. The ball pings off the sticks beautifully. Mandeep Singh does superbly on the right with a good run to enter the circle but again, the end product is lacking. Was he looking for a foot there when a shot on goal could have been taken? 

India have started well in Q2, good possession in the Dutch half. Looking to patiently build as the Dutch sit back. A while back Lalit did well at pace but was stopped by Joep for a green card. The Netherlands are back to 11 now and have the ball. 

Krishan Pathak with a double save! That will help his confidence after the goal India conceded. From a drag flick, he gets a good foot out and then is alert to save a high ball from the rebound. The hooter goes shortly after. 

Update from Mihir Vasavda: Harman playing almost like a centre half today!

Oh wow, that would have been a collector's item! Harmanpreet Singh with a field goal nearly. Hardik does superbly down the right, cuts the ball back. Harman is off balanced as he gets the shot away and the deflection is not there at the end either. Close from India though, 5 mins to go in the quarter. 

Oh dear. That is not the best moment for Krishan Pathak in goal. Floris Middendorp is the scorer. Good advantage played by the ref, India's defence is not alert, a cross back into the danger area, Pathak gets his foot to it but it's weak and the ball falls to Floris who shoots and the Indian goalkeeper would think he could have done better there as well. 

It's a positive start from India as they spend a good amount of time in the Dutch defence. The first real shot on goal from Mandeep, who takes a reverse hit on goal and it goes wide. Good intent from the hosts early on. 

Netherlands take the ball to start. It's the battle of European and Asian champions.

Meet the Power Packed Starting XI of Team India against the Netherlands!

Let the stickwork magic begin! ?

Watch the match live on @JioCinema and @Sports18#HockeyIndia #IndiaKaGame #FIHProLeague24 #IndiaMensTeam
.
.
.
.
.@CMO_Odisha @FIH_Hockey @IndiaSports @Media_SAI… pic.twitter.com/DhRFdZPDK2

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) February 21, 2024

Match lineup for India vs Netherlands 

PR Sreejesh has retirement plans. But he has no reason to walk into the sunset just yet.

Krishan Pathak is eyeing succession. The understudy, now an heir apparent, patiently waiting for his time.

Fulton’s ‘experiments’

It was a scratchy, error-ridden performance by India against, but the result remains of academic interest in a competition where all Paris-bound teams are fine-tuning their preparations. Fulton’s ‘experiments’ are in sync with that bigger picture.

Ahead of Paris Olympics, why Indian hockey team coach Craig Fulton is trying to assemble team of 10 ‘aloos’ and a ‘keeper

In a riveting game between two top sides, India took the lead through Hardik and scored an equaliser late on thanks to captain Harmanpreet Singh, from a PC that his deputy won. A 2-2 draw saw the teams share a point each before PR Sreejesh showed in class in the shootout as India won an additional bonus point.

Hello and welcome to the live blog of a potentially exciting contest in Rourkela. Harmanpreet Singh and Co take on world No 1 the Netherlands as they continue their preparations for Paris. It was a 2-2 draw the last time these two sides met in Bhubaneswar, before India clinched the shootout bonus. Proceedings will begin at 7.30 pm IST.