In the second match of the 3- nations invitational, India settled for a 2-2 draw against Germany in a high voltage encounter on Saturday here. Goal scorers were Mandeep Singh (45′) and Sardar Singh (45′) for India while Niklas Wellen (13′) and Tobias Hauke (52′) scored for Germany.
It was a must win match for both the teams as the two teams lost their first matches against Belgium. As expected it was a closely contested match and neither teams disappointed. Both Germany and India raced out of the blocks at a frenetic pace, attacking each other constantly from hooter to hooter.
India played Vikas Dahiya in the match and he was kept busy in the first quarter with Germany winning their first PC in the 4th minute but Dahiya did well to come up with an impressive save and deny an early lead to the Germans. India came close to taking a 1-0 lead in the 12th minute of the match, which saw forwards SV Sunil and Ramandeep Singh working in tandem in the striking circle to take a shot on goal but Ramandeep’s deflection went wide.
And just in the next minute, Germany drew first blood when Niklas Wellen perfectly deflected the ball with a good assist by his fellow compatriot to give Germany a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute. The teams went for break with a 1-0 score in favor of Germany.
Coming off the break, an in-form Wellen came close to scoring his second goal of the match but his flick went off target with the ball going over the post. Germany kept the pressure on, though Ramandeep found another chance to take a shot on goal with a good assist by Pardeep Mor but it went futile as his deflection was off the mark. The second quarter was more or less a story of Germany on aggression and India on defense as India gave some opportunities but saved the team from any damage at the zeroeth moment. Teams went to half time with a 1-0 score in favor of Germany.
Coming on the field after the break, India had the intent and plans worked out as the quarter belonged to India. India made great amends to get ahead of Germany in this quarter. First it was India’s young sensation Mandeep Singh who struck goal with an impressive strike in the circle to give India the equalizer in the 45th minute to be followed by the experienced midfielder Sardar Singh wielding magic with inspiring dribbling abilities to carry the ball into the circle and successfully take a shot on goal. There was little scope for German keeper to stop this one, and India celebrated their second goal of the match as they went ahead of the opposition in the match. The teams went for their second break with a score 2-1 in favor of India.
Coming off the break, India had their tasks cut out- either extend the lead or defend with zero error. India pushed hard to stay ahead of Germany but seven minutes into the fourth quarter Germany equalized. It was Tobias Hauke who converted the goal. With just five minutes left for the final hooter, both teams continued to play on par with each other even as the score remained a deadlock at 2-2.
It could be another loss for India, but India’s Akash Chikte made a great save in the dying minutes of the match to keep the Germans in the hunt. With little less than two minutes to end the match, Germany won a PC but India’s defense was rock solid to deny them the opportunity but had to settle for a draw.
India will play their next match on June 5 against Belgium at 18.30 hours (Indian Standard Time).