Bhubaneswar (TIP)- Mandeep Singh struck two field goals in the final quarter as India began their FIH Pro League campaign with a 4-3 win over New Zealand on October 28. Mandeep scored in the 51st and 56th minutes after India were down 2-3 at the end of the third quarter. Mandeep Mor (13th) and captain Harmanpreet Singh (41st) were the other scorers for world No. 5 India. World No. 9 New Zealand scored through Sam Lane (22nd and 35th) and Jake Smith (34th). New Zealand showed more attacking intent in the early exchanges. India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh was called into action early in the match as he saved a deflection. It was India, however, who got the first penalty corner of the match but failed to convert. India took the lead from their first chance of the match. Nilakanta Sharma found Mor free on the right with an accurate pass before the latter fired past New Zealand goalkeeper Dominic Dixon. India were in the ascendency and threatened to double the lead in the early period of the second quarter. But it was the Black Sticks who equalised seven minutes into the quarter from their first penalty corner. The shot from Sam Lane was blocked in front of goal by Surender Kumar. The visiting team went for a review and replays showed that the ball came off Surender’s foot. Lane found the bottom corner of the Indian goal from the spot.

Soon after, New Zealand got another penalty corner but this time Krishan Pathak blocked the ball but it fell to Simon Child whose attempt went wide. Just before the halftime, India came close to taking the lead but Sukhjeet Singh’s shot from a narrow angle was saved by Dixon. The third quarter was an exciting contest and New Zealand surged ahead with two quick goals in the 34th and 35th minutes. India pulled one back in the 41st minute when Harmanpreet converted a penalty stroke earned by Mandeep.     Source: PTI