India blew away a 3-0 lead conceding four goals in thelast seven minutes to go down 3-4 against defending champions Holland in theirhigh-voltage opening match of the 25th Champions Trophy hockey tournament atAmstelveen.
Blowing a 3-0 lead, the visitors concede four goals in the last seven minutes to go down 3-4 against defending champions Holland in their lung opener
India blew away a 3-0 lead conceding four goals in thelast seven minutes to go down 3-4 against defending champions Holland in theirhigh-voltage opening match of the 25th Champions Trophy hockey tournament atAmstelveen.
In a dramatic final few minutes when India led 3-0 ongoals by Jugraj Singh (44th) and Deepak Thakur (52nd and 62nd), the home sidecame up with a miraculous fightback. The hosts snatched victory from the jaws ofdefeat as Rob Reckers, Taeke Taekema, Floris Evers and Ronald Brouwer struck inquick succession.
Earlier, two late goals helped Australia force a 4-4draw with Pakistan in the opening match. In a fast paced encounter, Pakistanthrice squandered a two-goal lead to allow Australia to salvage an honourabledraw.
Mudassar Ali (6th minute), Sohail Abbas (11th, 31st)and Salim Khalid (63rd) scored for Pakistan while the Aussies struck throughGrant Schubert (14th, 70th), Troy Elder (32nd) and Dean Butler (64th).
India did extremely well to hold the fancied Dutchgoalless in the first-half before stepping up the pace after the change of endsto take a firm grip on the game.
Jugraj came good with a drag-flick to give India thelead in the 44th minute, and then substitute Thakur was on target, first off aDhanraj Pillay pass and then capping a move by Gagan Ajit Singh.
With the visitors leading 3-0 with seven minutes remaining, it looked curtainsfor the Dutch. But the familiar Indian tale of fumbling in the final stagessurfaced as the hosts applied tremendous pressure to score four goals to authoran amazing comeback.
Until Reckers scored, the Indians were right on top.But the Dutch strike tore open the hitherto tight Indian defence and Taekemaconverted a penalty corner and then Evers flicked home the third that was hotlydisputed by the visitors. In the process, skipper Dhanraj Pillay received ayellow card suspension.
The Indian players protested that the ball had notcrossed the goal-line when half-back Baljit Singh Saini stopped it. However, thetelevision replays available in the media centre here indicated that the goalwas legitimate.
Thereafter, the Indian team, without captain Pillay andreliable Dilip Tirkey, who was out for the count owing to an injury, fell apartto let Brouwer score the winner just before the hooter.
On the day, the Indians were clearly the better side,but as the Dutch skipper Jeroen Delmee was to say after the game, a hockey matchis for 70 minutes and not 60. Thus, for the umpteenth time, they succumbed underpressure in the final moments.
But during those 60 minutes, the Dutch were imprisonedby some tight marking and wonderful performance by the deep defenders, speciallygoalkeeper Devesh Chauhan who brought off several fine saves to keep his sideafloat.
The Indian midfield gave little away while the front line was a source ofconstant danger to the Dutch defence.
In contrast, the Dutch hardly looked a settled side andthe early miss by Bram Lomans, who hit the cross-bar with the penalty cornerdrag-flick, added to their woes as they struggled right through until Reckersopened the fllodgates in the 64th minute.
PTI