Spirited India bounce back to tame Argentina in thrilling FIH Pro League tie

PR Sreejesh saved three crucial shots during the shootout to help India snatch a 3-2 victory over Olympic champions Argentina in the FIH Pro League in Buenos Aires on Sunday.

Indian skipper Manpreet Singh earned a penalty corner with just 25 seconds left which Harmanpreet Singh converted to force a penalty shootout.

Lalit Upadhyay, Rupinder Pal Singh and Dilpreet Singh were on target while Harmanpreet had his shot saved during the penalty shootout. For the hosts it was Lucas Martinez and Nicolas Keenan who scored. Lucas Vila, Martin Ferreiro and Ignacio Ortiz's penalties were stopped by PR Sreejesh, handing India the win.

The shootout win gave India a bonus point after both teams shared the spoils as the match finished in a draw after normal time.

Both teams will once again square off for the second match on Sunday.

Harmanpreet expressed his elation after the win.

“I think the biggest takeaway from this match is our fighting spirit. We didn’t lose hope until the last minute and we fought back really hard to earn this result,” said Harmanpreet.

FINAL SCORE: 🇦🇷 2-2 (2-3) 🇮🇳What an impressive comeback by #TeamIndia! 🙌Way to go, #MenInBlue. 💙#IndiaKaGame #FIHProLeague #HockeyAtItsBest #HockeyInvites #ARGvIND pic.twitter.com/8dGYHbU6QX

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) April 10, 2021

Earlier, after a barren first quarter, it was India who drew first blood through Harmanpreet Singh who scored from a penalty corner in the 21st minute. The Indian deputy fiercely struck the ball to the left of the Argentine goalie, fetching the visitors a much-needed lead.

Argentina's second-quarter heroics go in vain

The Argentines bounced back really fast. The Pedro Ibarra-led side put the Indians under tremendous pressure with frequent circle-entries in the next few minutes. The effort paid off as Argentina took the lead with two back-to-back goals within two minutes.

Martin Ferreiro’s accurate execution gave Argentina the equalizer and the 23-year-old was again in action 120 seconds later, converting a penalty for his side. The pressure game went on in the third quarter too as both sides earned penalty corners but failed to capitalize on their chances.

📸 ¡Postales del primer cruce entre #LosLeones🦁🇦🇷 y @TheHockeyIndia 🇮🇳 en el primer cruce por la #FIHProLeague!@adidasAR @VisaArgentina @GatoradeARG @Sancor_Salud #BancoMacro @Triunfo_Seguros @enardinfo @DeportesAR @FIH_Hockey pic.twitter.com/AoW15EmobX

— ARG Field Hockey (@ArgFieldHockey) April 10, 2021

With the home side leading, both teams stepped on the pedal. While India aimed to continue their unbeaten 2021, Argentina were resolute in their efforts after losing a double header last week against Germany.

The Indians could have scored the equalizer at the start of the final quarter itself had Upadhyay kept the ball on target. Harmanpreet slapped the ball from the top of the circle towards goal but Upadhyay failed to connect his stick to the ball for a deflection.

Things got worse for India as Varun Kumar and Mandeep Singh had to sit out in the dying minutes of the game due to yellow cards. But Manpreet’s valiant efforts and Harmanpreet’s precision with the stick gave India the equalizer at the last moment.