New Delhi: Drag-flicker Rupinderpal Singh scored a last minute goal as India came from behind to register a 5-4 win over Germany in a classification match of the Hero Hockey World League Final here on Friday.
It was a scintillating performance from the hosts, who overturned a two-goal deficit to secure a place in the play-off for the fifth-sixth place against Belgium. Striker Mandeep Singh (18th, 41st, 53 minutes), who was adjudged the man of the match, led the way with a hat-trick while Rupinder (39th, 70th) converted a couple of penalty corners.
Oliver Korn (4th), Thilo Stralkowski (6th, PC), Benjamin Wess (27th) and Martin Haner (55th) scored for Germany.
India were off to a poor start — conceding two goals in six minutes — but the team came back strongly. For once, they did the basics right and matched the Germans in speed and skills. Rupinder and Mandeep kept the hosts in the hunt with regular strikes, with the teams locked at 4-4 by the 55th minute.
That resulted in a nerve-racking last 15 minutes before Rupinder found the winner at the last moment.
New Zealand, Holland enter final
Holland survived a strong challenge from an impressive Australia to prevail 4-3 in an entertaining semi-final on Friday.
The Oranje will meet New Zealand — who beat England 6-7 (3-3) in a penalty shootout in the other last four clash — in the final on Saturday.
The Dutch had the better of the initial exchanges as Constantijn Jonker (12th minute) and man of the match Mink van der Weerden (20th, PC) put them in the lead. But the Kookabooras came out fighting after the break and wrested the advantage with goals from Kieran Govers (42nd, 55th) and Russell Ford (47th).
Veteran Dutch goalkeeper Jaap Stockman then halted the Aussies with a couple of excellent saves which proved to be crucial as Jeroen Hertzberger (62nd) brought the Netherlands back into the race by equalising from open play.
With four minutes remaining, van der Weerden (66th) scored his second goal with a well taken penalty corner to put Holland back in front. That prompted Australia to go all out in the last few minutes in search of the equaliser. But a narrow miss from Liam De Young and an excellent save from Stockman in the last minute took Holland through.
