Rotterdam, 19 June (H.S.):

The Indian men's hockey team produced a spirited performance against reigning world champions Germany in the Rotterdam leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2025–26 on Friday, but saw victory slip away in the closing moments as Germany scored twice in the final four minutes to register a dramatic 2-1 comeback win.

Jugraj Singh marked his 100th international appearance with a goal for India, but Germany struck late to snatch all three points.

India began the match on the front foot, playing aggressive hockey and controlling possession while denying Germany the space to build attacks. The disciplined Indian defence ensured that the reigning world champions were unable to create any clear scoring opportunities in the opening half.

In the second quarter, India maintained the pressure and forced Germany into a series of errors. Abhishek created a promising chance for India, but the visitors were unable to convert it into the opening goal.

India finally broke the deadlock in the third quarter after earning their first penalty corner of the match. In the 38th minute, Jugraj Singh fired a powerful drag flick into the net to give India a 1-0 lead, making his milestone 100th international match even more memorable.

Germany responded with sustained pressure towards the end of the third quarter, but Indian goalkeeper Mohit HS produced a series of excellent saves to preserve India's advantage.

India had opportunities to extend their lead in the final quarter but failed to capitalise. Germany made the most of those missed chances, with Justus Weigand converting a penalty corner in the 56th minute to level the score at 1-1.

In the closing seconds of the contest, Germany earned another penalty corner, and Jakob Brilla converted it to complete a dramatic 2-1 victory for the reigning world champions.

Despite the defeat, India delivered a highly competitive performance and pushed the reigning world champions throughout the match, earning praise for their resilience and quality of play.

India will next face the Netherlands on June 21 at 5:30 p.m. IST in their next FIH Hockey Pro League fixture.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar