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The Indian men’s hockey team went down to Great Britain in their FIH Pro League 2023-24 match in London on Sunday, June 2 (IST). In the game at the Lee Valley Hockey Stadium, India got off to a quick start and seemed to have got control of the game in the beginning itself. However, Nicholas Bandurak gave his side an early lead by scoring a goal in the second minute of the game.
While India tried their best to make a comeback, Britain got more possession of the ball as Bandurak scored the goal in the 11th minute. The side led by Harmanpreet Singh trailed by two goals in the first half but were determinant enough to make a stronger comeback in the second half. India’s sole goal came from Abhishek in the first five minutes as he got on the scoresheet for India with his 35th minute goal.
After the goal, Abhishek tried to carry the positive momentum and helped India with a penalty corner in the next minute. However, Harmanpreet failed to test the opposition keeper. In the final quarter, while Great Britain had a one-goal lead, they looked composed and once again extend the lead with their 47th minute goal by Will Calnan. India challenged the goal through a video referral, but it was ruled against the appeal, and they lost the game 3-1.
Despite the loss, India remains third on the FIH Pro League scoresheet behind the Netherlands and Argentina, respectively. In this tournament, the Tokyo Olympics hockey bronze medalist have managed to win only five of their 14 games so far. In their next match, they will be up against world champions Germany on Saturday. Their last meeting ended in a 3-0 victory for India.
