Bhubaneswar: Mandeep Singh struck two field goals in the final quarter as India began their FIH Pro League 2022-23 campaign with a 4-3 win over New Zealand at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Friday. (More Hockey News)
Mandeep scored in the 51st and 56th minute after India were down 2-3 at the end of the third quarter. Mandeep Mor (13th) and captain Harmanpreet Singh (41st) were the other goal-getters for India who are ranked fifth in the world.
World No. 9 New Zealand scored through Sam Lane (22nd and 35th) and Jake Smith (34th). New Zealand showed more attacking intent in the early exchanges. India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh was called into action early in the match as he saved a deflected long-range attempt.
It was India, however, who got the first penalty corner of the match but Shamsher Singh wasted the chance. India took the lead from the first chance of the match. Nilakanta Sharma found Mor free on the right with an accurate pass before the latter fired past New Zealand goalkeeper Dominic Dixon.
India were in the ascendency and threatened to double the lead in the early period of the second quarter. But it was the Black Sticks who equalised seven minutes into the quarter from their first penalty corner.
The shot from Sam Lane was blocked in front of the goal by Surender Kumar. The visiting team went for a review and replays showed that the ball came off Surender’s foot. Lane found the bottom corner of the Indian goal from the spot.
