The Indian men's hockey team ended their FIH Pro League season on a positive note as they beat England 3-2 in a penalty shootout to earn a bonus point after the match ended 0-0 in normal time.
The two points from the match took India's tally to 19 points from 16 games as they finished in eighth place, second from bottom. Spain also had the same points, but they finished a spot ahead because they had more wins (5) compared to India's (4).
Overall, the match lacked quality for the first three quarters. Both teams struggled to play attacking hockey with not many scoring chances coming for either team. England did go close early on but for fine saves by Indian goalkeeper Mohith HS. There was a lot of physicality in the middle, with tempers also flaring between the players.
The game sort of opened up the final quarter with England pushing hard to break the deadlock. This time, it was Suraj Karkera who came up with solid saves to deny his opponent and credit to India's defence for holding firm.
The earlier fixture between both the teams also went to penalty shootout with England clinching the bonus point. This time, Mohith continued his form from the game into the shootout as he forced errors from the English players. For India, Abhishek, Shilanand Lakra, Hardik Singh (stroke) scored while Sukhjeet Singh and Dilpreet Singh missed their chances. For England, only Zach Wallace (stroke) and David Goodfield could beat Mohith while Thomas Sorsby, Henry Croft and Jack Waller failed to convert.
India head coach Craig Fulton will be happy with the European leg of the tour, where they won four games, drew twice and lost two in Rotterdam and London. It was a much-improved performance from the Indian team, who had failed to win even one match in their previous eight games. At home, India had lost all their four games against Belgium and Argentina.
Meanwhile, Belgium clinched the Pro League title with 39 points and a game to spare. The title win means Belgium have also booked their spot at the LA 2028 Olympics. Pakistan have been relegated to the FIH Nations Cup after finishing last in this season, having lost all their 16 games.
You can relive all the action on our live blog below: