FIH Pro Hockey League highlights: Sreejesh stars as India beats Belgium 2-1

India defeated world champions Belgium 2-1 in FIH Pro Hockey League 2020 at Kalinga Stadium on Saturday. Indian hockey team were quick to get off the blocks with debutant Raj Kumar Pal setting up a fantastic goal within 90 seconds of play as he passed from the left flank to Dilpreet Singh on top of the circle.
 
Check India vs Belgium hockey match live score and match updates on Sunday here

Check Pro Hockey League points table here

Young forward Dilpreet, making his comeback in the Indian squad after over a year, took a powerful shot on goal which found a perfect deflection from Mandeep Singh who was positioned in front of Belgian goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch.

With scores reading 1-1, it was a tense final quarter but India pushed back Belgium hockey team by scoring another goal. It was Ramandeep Singh, who after injecting the ball during a PC battery, picked up a rebound off Belgium's first rusher to score the goal.

Though Belgium created penalty corners in the dying minutes of the match, India held their nerves and experienced goalkeeper Sreejesh ensured India sealed the game and earned the winning points to stay at the second position in the FIH Hockey Pro League points table. Belgium are still on top with 11 points from 5 games.

This was India's 50th win against Belgium and the most memorable one as it has helped the team consolidate the position of world number four pushing defending Olympic Champions Argentina to five.

Krishan Pathak was adjudged Player of the Match for his brave performance. India will take on Belgium at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium on Sunday, February 9.

 

 

6:41 PM

FULL TIME: India 2 | 1 Belgium

6:40 PM

60th minute: Belgium fails score the PC, and Sreejesh makes another save

6:39 PM

Belgium in Indian D, and Belgium wins the PC in last minutes

6:38 PM

40 seconds left in the match

6:38 PM

59th minute: India fails to score the PC

6:37 PM

59th minute: Penalty corner for India and Belgium doesn't have the Goalkeeper

6:36 PM

59th minute: Belgium fails to convert the PC

6:36 PM

58th minute: Another PC for Belgium as Sreejesh makes a brilliant save again

6:35 PM

58th minute: Penalty Corner for Belgium

6:34 PM

Dilpreet gets a Yellow card

6:33 PM

57th minute: A superb cross from Gurjant Singh, but Ramandeep Singh fails to deflect it into the back of the net

6:32 PM

57th minute: India pressing forward, wins a free hit but makes mess of it

6:31 PM

56th minute: India wins free hit inside its own D

6:30 PM

55th minute: Sreejesh makes yet another brilliant save

6:29 PM

54th minute: Sreejesh makes brilliant save again