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India’s dismal tally successful the FIH Men’s Pro League saw them spell down 3-4 successful a shootout against Spain aft a tense 1-1 gully successful regularisation clip connected Tuesday (February 25, 2026).
Despite holding a 1-0 vantage until the 59th minute, courtesy a superb onslaught from Maninder Singh, India conceded a precocious equaliser erstwhile Spain's Bruno Font recovered the nett to instrumentality the lucifer into shootout.
Spain started strongly, controlling aboriginal possession and investigating the Indian defence. They won their archetypal punishment country successful the 4th minute, but the drag-flick was comfortably saved by Indian goalkeeper Mohith.
Spain thought they had taken the pb successful the eighth minute, but Jose Basterra's extremity was disallowed.
Shrugging disconnected the pressure, India earned a punishment country successful the 14th minute, but Amit Rohidas's drag-flick was denied by Spanish goalkeeper Luis Calzado, keeping the archetypal 4th goalless.
The breakthrough arrived successful the 19th minute. Skipper Hardik Singh dispossessed a Spanish player, turned brilliantly, and acceptable up Maninder, who smashed a tomahawk into the nett to springiness India a 1-0 lead.
Spain instantly responded by winning a punishment corner, but Pepe Cunill's changeable was saved by Suraj Karkera.
Karkera pulled disconnected different stunning prevention moments aboriginal to contradict Basterra.
Striker Abhishek besides came adjacent aft a superb dribble, but failed arsenic India held connected to their slender 1-0 pb astatine halftime.
In the 3rd quarter, Spain pressed precocious portion India looked to sorb the pressure.
Spain's persistence earned them back-to-back punishment corners, some expertly saved by Mohith.
As the 4th coiled down, Spain was reduced to 10 men pursuing a greenish paper for Fortuno. India astir capitalised connected the vantage successful the 44th minute, but Calzado made a choky prevention against Jugraj Singh's punishment country strike.
The last 4th saw India being reduced to 10 men aft Sanjay received a greenish paper successful the 45th minute. Spain rapidly won a punishment corner, but Karkera stood gangly erstwhile again.
As Spain pushed desperately for an equaliser, India recovered spaces connected the counter. Vishnukant Singh won a punishment country successful the 52nd minute, but Rohidas missed the target. Minutes later, Rajinder Singh's drag-flick besides failed to find the backmost of the net.
With India trying to tally down the clock, a costly antiaircraft lapse successful the 59th infinitesimal allowed Font to onslaught a superb equaliser. Spain won 3 consecutive punishment corners successful the frantic last 13 seconds, but the Indian defence held steadfast to extremity the regularisation clip locked astatine 1-1.
In the ensuing shootout, misses from Abhishek and Hardik Singh proved costly arsenic India mislaid 3-4, walking distant with a azygous constituent from the hard-fought encounter.
India volition adjacent instrumentality connected Australia successful the 4th crippled of the Hobart limb of connected Wednesday.
India had mislaid 0-2 to Spain successful the archetypal limb lucifer here, earlier going down 4-5 successful shoot-out against Australia pursuing a 2-2 draw.
India are presently placed eighth successful the 9 squad contention with conscionable 2 points from 7 matches.
