The Indian men's hockey team came up with a spirited performance to hold England 1-1 in their third match at the ongoing 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation - International Tournament in Barcelona on Friday.
While Sam Ward scored an early goal for England in the fifth minute, India bounced back to level the scores in the 29th minute through Harmanpreet Singh.
The draw meant India are out of contention for the final on Sunday.
After losing to the hosts and drawing with the Netherlands in their previous matches, India were looking for an elusive win and a spot in the final.
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Despite their positive body language on the field, it was England who got off to a good start, with Ward scoring a stunning field goal.
A tumbling James Oates crossed the ball from the right flank towards the goalpost, which Ward deflected inside.
Despite the early setback, India showed tenacity in the following minutes, defending admirably to save two consecutive penalty corners. Meanwhile, the Indian forwardline continued their attack, earning a well-deserved penalty corner in the 12th minute. Unfortunately for Indian skipper Harmanpreet, the umpire disallowed his goal for dangerous play.
It took India a lot of effort to break through the English defence, and it wasn't until the 29th minute that India were able to level the score. It was Harmanpreet yet again leading the charge, as he broke no sweat in converting a brilliant penalty corner.
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A goal just before the 10-minute half-time break meant that the two teams would return with strategies that would promise exciting 30 minutes of play. With a spot in the final at stake, both teams lived up to the billing with their brilliant attacking tactics that kept the spectators glued.
But a win eluded India, and that ended India's hope of progressing to the final.
They will next play the placing match against the losing team from the Spain versus Netherlands match.
