Indian men's hockey team finishes third, on way to home for Asian Champions Trophy

The Indian men's hockey team defeated the Netherlands 2-1 to finish third in the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation - International Tournament on Sunday.

Captain Harmanpreet Singh (15th) and Dilpreet Singh (50th) scored in India's hard-fought victory, while Thierry Brinkman (25th) scored the lone goal for the Dutch side.

India got off to a cautious start, not allowing the Dutch to make easy forays into the striking circle. The team's forwards, on the other hand, stitched together a clever strategy that forced the Dutch defenders to make errors.

The tactic worked when India managed their first PC with just 30 seconds left for the first hooter. In-form Indian skipper Harmanpreet, who had to re-take the drag flick after the first attempt was stopped by the Netherlands' first rusher, was on target fetching his team an important 1-0 lead in the 15th minute.

The following quarter saw the Netherlands bounce back when Brinkman converted a well-executed penalty corner in the 20th minute. The equalizer did not deter the Indian team as it remained determined in its pursuit to end the campaign on a winning note.

The match looked to move towards a penalty shootout after some tense moments in the fourth quarter. The Dutch missed some crucial chances.

In the 50th minute, Dilpreet Singh picked up a rebound from the penalty corner and scored the winner for India.

The 2-1 lead increased pressure on the Dutch side who looked for ways to score an equaliser. In the final moments, they were successful in earning back-to-back PCs but India did well to defend their score and finish on a winning note.

The Indian team will arrive in Chennai in the early hours of Tuesday morning to play the much-awaited Asian Champions Trophy starting August 3 at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium.