FIH Men's Hockey Pro League 2023-24: Netherlands win shootout bonus point following 1-1 draw with India in Rourkela

The Netherlands won a bonus point for a 4-2 shootout win against India at the 2023-24 FIH Men's Hockey Pro League mini-tournament in Rourkela on Wednesday, February 21. Both teams scored one goal apiece in regulation time.

Floris Middendorp gave the visitors a dream start by scoring off a short corner in the fourth minute before Hardik Singh equalized following an Indian penalty corner in the third quarter.

India and the Netherlands had played out a 2-2 draw in Bhubaneswar on February 11 before the hosts won the shootout that followed.

The Netherlands opened the scoring through Floris Middendorp, who beat Kishan Pathak in the fourth minute of play. Middendorp's first-ever international goal was followed by an Indian attack in the ninth minute, with Harmanpreet Singh taking a shot on goal off a cross from Hardik Singh.

The Indian captain missed the target before Kishan Pathak came up with a couple of timely saves as the Dutch won a penalty corner with a minute to go for the end of the first quarter.

Jorrit Croon took a shot on goal off Jip Janssen's drag-flick but the Dutch failed to extend their lead.

The Indians thought they had scored when Sukhjeet Singh put the ball in the net in the 28th minute but umpire David Tomlinson reckoned that the ball had struck the Indian striker's body en route to the goal.

A video review could throw no extra light on what transpired which meant that the Netherlands kept their one-goal lead intact going into the halftime break.

An overhead from Hardik Singh led to a penalty corner in the 38th minute. Jugraj Singh's drag-flick was neatly dispatched into the net by Hardik Singh after a couple of passes in the circle.

With the score at 1-1, the Dutch launched a couple of speedy forays which the Indian deep defense dealt with midway through the third quarter.

The visitors earned a vital short corner for a dangerous ball off a clearance made by Sreejesh with four minutes to go for the end of regulation time. The drag-flick was, however, run down by Manpreet Singh with no further addition to the scoresheet.

Sukhjeet Singh missed in the shootout before asking for a referral which went against the Indians. Jonas de Geus was denied by Kishan Pathak.

Shamsher Singh was the second player to miss for the Indians while Joep de Mol scored the winner for Jeroen Delmee's team, who continue to lead the Men's Hockey Pro League points table.

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India reclaim third spot in FIH rankings following latest Men's Hockey Pro League results

The Indians play Australia at the Men's Hockey Pro League on February 24

The Indians reclaimed the third spot in the FIH rankings after having dropped to the fourth position.

A 2-2 draw between Argentina and Germany meant that the Germans, who were third in the rankings, lost points after the South Americans won the resultant shootout.

Germany are close on India's heels in fourth place with 2785 points as compared to India who have 2800 points.

Meanwhile, Australia, who are yet to be defeated in the 2023-24 edition of the tournament, have risen by a rung to the fifth spot in the rankings.

The Netherlands continue to be the top-ranked men's hockey team followed by the Belgians, who have retained the second spot despite three losses in four games at the Men's Hockey Pro League.