The Indian men's hockey team left frustrated once again as they drew their FIH Pro League match against Spain 1-1 before losing the shootout 4-3 in Hobart. It looked like they were finally getting their first win of the season, having been up 1-0 until the last 90 seconds when Spain equalised to take the match to shootout and eventually clinched the bonus point on offer.
For India, Maninder Singh scored a lovely reverse hit to give them the lead in the second quarter. For Spain, Bruno Font was the hero as he got the equaliser in the 59th minute.
Spain started the match in their typical attacking fashion. They were much better on the ball and created better chances. India's defending though was solid and despite the flurry of attacks, they managed to keep the scoreline 0-0. The first goal came in the 19th minute when Maninder got the ball from Hardik. His trap was not a good one but he reacted quickly and unleased a fierce reverse hit to give India the lead.
After the half-time break, Spain continued to dominate the proceedings but couldn't score. Goalkeeper Suraj Karkera was very good with his saves and in general, India's defence stood up to the pressure.
In the final quarter, India had their chances with Spain leaving gaps in their defence after attacking in numbers. They thought they scored their second of the night when a superb lift and pass Yashdeep Siwach found Mandeep Singh completely unmarked. With an open goal, the Indian forward converted his chance but it was not counted as there was an infringement in the build-up play.
Spain pushed hard and finally scored the equaliser with Font doing really well to find the angle and finish from the right.
With seconds to go, Spain had back-to-back penalty corner chances but they were denied. The final shot of the game was on target and saved by Karkera.
In the shootout, Shilanand Lakra, Jordi Bonastre, Maninder Singh and Marc Recasens all scored their chances to make it 2-2.
It was Abhishek who missed his shootout chance giving Spain the advantage. Pol Cabre Verdiell and Raj Kumar Pal converted but Hardik Singh missed twice. He got a retake after a foul by goalkeeper Luis Calzado but couldn't make it count.
This is India's second straight draw and a shootout loss after their 2-2 against Australia. They have one more game to play in this leg, which is against hosts Australia on Wednesday.
You can relive the match on our live blog below: