The Indian women’s team stunned the Netherlands in a penalty shootout to close their home leg of the FIH Pro League on a winning note in Bhubaneswar. The two teams remained unseparated at 2-2 in regulation time before the Women in Blue won the shootout.
The Indian women’s hockey team on Tuesday stunned reigning Olympic champions Netherlands to end their home leg on a stunning note. The Women in Blue edged past the Dutch side in a penalty shootout after both the teams ended the regulation time on parity at 2-2.
For the Indian team, Deepika and Mumtaz Khan scored in the shootout, while Marijn Veen found the target for the Netherlands as India won 2-1 in the shootout.
In the regulation time, Pien Sanders (17th minute) and Fay van der Elst (28th) scored for the Dutch, while Deepika (35th) and Baljeet Kaur (43rd) brought the Women in Blue back into the game.
The Dutch kept pressing hard, and earned some penalty corners, but found the opening in the 17th minute through a PC. Through a variation, Sanders found the ball at the baseline on PC and sneaked past the ball into the nets to send the Netherlands 1-0 up.
They did not take long enough to find another one as Elst’s diving finish in the 28th minute took them 2-0 up.
India came back into the game in the second half with a much-needed attacking game. Deepika opened the account for India in the 35th minute after dribbling one down the left flank to find a great finish.
Baljeet levelled things in the 43rd minute. Sharmila Devi dribbled down the right wing and found Baljeet, who sent the ball into the net past the Dutch keeper. Both the teams fended off the attacks to keep things 2-2.
The Indian women’s team members will get Rs 1 lakh each. The members of the support staff will pocket Rs 50,000 each. “Following the incredible upset victory, Hockey India announced a cash award of Rs 1 lakh to each Indian player and Rs. 50,000 to each member of the support staff in addition to their existing policy of rewarding Rs. 50,000 for every victory,” the HI said in a statement.