India finished eighth at the hockey World Cup
A 3-3 with Belgium went to a shootout. Harmanpreet scored twice.
India finished eighth at the hockey World Cup. A 3-3 draw with Belgium went to a shootout. Belgium won it 4-3.
The match was on Friday at the Belifus Arena in Wavre. Belgium was co-host.
India struck first. Five minutes in, Abhishek Nain's shot deflected in off Alexander Hendrickx.
Belgium pressed hard. Suraj Karkera held in the first quarter. Then Roman Duvekot, unmarked, equalised in the 21st minute. Hugo Labouchere scored from Belgium's fifth penalty corner a minute later.
Harmanpreet Singh dragged India level at 30 minutes. The captain had already served a five-minute suspension in the first quarter after India fielded 12 players. He later took a green card in the third.
At 2-2, Manpreet Singh was hit near the eye blocking Labouchere's close-range shot. He left the pitch bloodied. The home crowd applauded him off.
Belgium then punished an error. Nicolas de Kerpel scored in the 46th minute. India's referral, for a body touch in the build-up, failed.
Harmanpreet scored again with seconds left, from a penalty corner. That made it 3-3.
In the shootout he could not beat Vincent Vanasch. Neither could Sukhjeet Singh. Goalkeeper Mohith H.S. committed too early. Belgium scored four times.
The result closed India's campaign in eighth place. The team had twice come back from a goal down against the co-host.
Harmanpreet's afternoon was mixed. Two equalisers. A suspension. A green card. A missed shootout attempt.
Manpreet's injury added a grim note. He put his body on a shot and paid for it.
Belgium ends its home World Cup with a win to cheer. India leaves with eighth and a match that turned on a late equaliser and a shootout.
The official line is India 3 (Abhishek 5, Harmanpreet 30, 59-pc) and Belgium 3 (Duvekot 21, Labouchere 22-pc, de Kerpel 46).