Hockey World League Final, highlights: India lose 1-2 to Belgium; finish at sixth place

After a last-gasp winner in their game against Germany, a confident-looking India lost 2-1 to Belgium in the 5/6th play-off match at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.

 

# Full-time! Belgium have beaten India 2-1 to claim the fifth spot. India's tournament ends here at the sixth spot.

 

# Oh dear! Belgium take lead just two minutes from time. They are awarded the penalty corner and India ask for a referral. The decision stands and Tom Boon converts to lead 2-1.

 

# Belgium equalise! With just three minutes to go, Belgium have drawn level via Florent van Aubel. BEL 1 IND 1

 

# India score! After almost an hour of stalemate, birthday boy Nikkin Thimmaiah scores to give India a 1-0 lead in the 59th min. His strikes is the 100th goal of the tournament.

 

# India counter immediately and earn a penalty corner but they too can't convert. 51 minutes gone.

 

# Two back-to-back penalty corners for Belgium but they still can't find the goal that could put them in the lead.

 

# Second half begins with teams looking to break the deadlock.

 

# Half-time! No goals in the first half of play.

#Still no goals as both teams just can't find the finishing moves.The game has moved from end to end but no sign of a goal.

 

# Belgium come close to scoring but Charlier fires one wide in 17th min. IND 0 BEL 0

 

# Early attacks belong to Belgium but they can't find the back of the net.

 

# India's Nikkin Thimmaiah celebrates his 23rd birthday today.

 

# The game is underway at the Major Dhyanchand Stadium in New Delhi. Can India make it two wins a row?

 

While India put on a spirited performance to overcome Germany, Belgium beat Argentina. Both these sides will now fight for the fifth spot.

 

Sardar Singh, Terry Walsh delighted with 'big' win

 

"We were waiting for such a win for a long time. If we can beat big teams like Australia and Germany, it will definitely raise our confidence level," Sardar said at the post-match press conference.

"But it is just the beginning because we made a lot of mistakes and we need to work on those grey areas," he added.

 

Delighted with the result, India's chief coach Terry Walsh praised his boys for playing as a unit.

"It was a very commendable performance from us. We have done a lot of things right today. But the most important thing is that we played as a team," Walsh said about his first win as India coach.

"It was a very close game but we matched the Germans. I am very proud of the way the guys have adjusted to different things in the game. The win was important for the psyche of the group."

 

India stun Germany 5-4

 

The Indian hockey team pulled off a sensational come-from-behind 5-4 win over Olympic champions Germany after Mandeep Singh slammed a brilliant hat-trick in their fiercely-contested 5-8th place classification match of the Hero World League Finals here on Friday.

 

World ranked 10th India rode on Mandeep's (18th, 41st, 53rd) three field goals and Rupinderpal Singh's two perfect strikes from penalty corners to set up the fantastic win against the Germans, against whom India last won way back in 2004 in the Champions Trophy in Lahore, Pakistan.