October 24, 2024: In a thrilling encounter, the Indian Men’s Hockey Team secured a 5-3 victory over Germany in regulation time but narrowly missed clinching the Bilateral Hockey Series 2024 after losing 1-3 in the shootout to the reigning world champions.
Despite their remarkable performance, India couldn’t convert their momentum into a series win after Germany took the shootout, winning the series.
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India’s goals came from Sukhjeet Singh, who scored twice (34′, 48′), Harmanpreet Singh, who netted back-to-back goals (42′, 43′) through penalty corners, and Abhishek (45′). Germany’s scorers included Elian Mazkour (7′, 57′) and Henrik Mertgens (60′), whose late goal pushed the game into a shootout.
Germany started strong with a 7th-minute goal on a counterattack after India missed an early penalty corner opportunity. Both teams had multiple chances to score through penalty corners in the second quarter, but the German defense held firm, and India couldn’t find an equalizer until halftime.
India made a strong comeback in the third quarter, starting with Sukhjeet Singh deflecting a backhand pass from Shilanand Lakra to equalize. Captain Harmanpreet Singh followed with two successive penalty corner goals in the 42nd and 43rd minutes, pushing India ahead 3-1. Abhishek added another field goal, and Sukhjeet extended the lead to 5-1 with a solo run in the 48th minute.
However, Germany fought back in the closing minutes, with Mazkour and Mertgens scoring crucial goals to bring the score to 5-3, forcing the game into a shootout. Germany prevailed in the shootout, scoring 3-1, to clinch the series despite India’s valiant effort in regulation time.
