Kuala Lumpur: The Indian Junior Men’s Hockey team produced a fabulous display of grit and character to beat the Netherlands 4-3 in a thrilling quarter-final of the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Malaysia 2023 after trailing 0-2 at half-time and 3-2 in the third quarter.
In a match that lived up to the billing of a Quarter Final encounter between world no.3 India and world no.4 Netherlands and went down the wire, India exhibited immense resilience to qualify for the semi-finals where they will take on Germany on December 14.
The Netherlands set the ball rolling early in the first quarter with a penalty corner conversion from Timo Boers (5’).
Despite the Indian side playing a solid defence, Pepijn van der Heijden (16’) scored for the Netherlands in the second quarter through another penalty corner conversion extending the lead to 2-0 at half-time.
India came back strongly in the third quarter with a goal from Aditya Lalage (34’) assisted by Araijeet Singh Hundal.
Two minutes later Araijeet scored the equaliser for India with a penalty stroke. The India Colts kept the pressure on the Dutch but they managed yet another penalty corner that was converted by Olivier Hortensius (44’) late in the third quarter as the Dutch snatched a narrow lead of one goal at the end of the third quarter.
With less than ten minutes remaining, the Indians raised the tempo of their game and it proved fruitful as Sourabh Anand Kushwaha (52’) found the back of the net off a rebound following a brilliant attack to get the score reading 3-3.
Another opportunity for a penalty corner conversion was created, this time in favour of India and they made full use of it with skipper Uttam Singh (57’) scoring to put the 'Colts in Blue' ahead with just three minutes left. With just a couple of minutes left on the clock, the pressure was on the Dutch to equalise.
India Colts victory was backed by a grand show of character to hold off pressure from the Dutch side, and the cynosure of India’s defence was Rohit who was hard to breach – as he blocked away six successive PCs in the final quarter ensuring India emerged victorious. He was awarded Player of the Match for his efforts.
India will play Germany in the first semi-final on Thursday.
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