In a blistering performance, the Indian men’s hockey team thrashed Ireland 4-0 in their FIH Men’s Pro League encounter at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. Two of the four goals came under Mandeep Singh’s assistance, helping India dominate the contest from start to finish.India took a consecutive victory over Ireland, having won the first leg by 3-1. With this win, India was in fourth place in the FIH Pro League table, having won four out of six matches.India, under the captaincy of Harmanpreet Singh, had tremendous form and quite a character. The frontline of Mandeep, Abhishek, and Shamsher Singh was a bit of a menace to the Irish defense.Nilam Sanjeep Xess scored the Indian goal in the 14th minute with the most brilliant display of skill. Xess received an aerial pass, turned, and dribbled from inside the circle past the Irish defenders. His first shot hit the goal post, and he converted the rebound into a goal.In the 24th minute, Mandeep Singh extended India’s lead to 2-0 with a dexterous deflection off a flick by Amit Rohidas during a penalty corner. This was Mandeep’s third goal in four matches, and he put on another spectacular performance in the match.Only four minutes later, Abhishek extended India’s lead to 3-0, finishing after Jamie Carr saved Mandeep’s first shot. In the 39th minute, Shamsher Singh found the net for the fourth time, redirecting Mandeep’s cross.In this comeback attempt, Ireland struggled to penetrate through the solid Indian defense in the last quarter. Dominance was clearly on India’s side, with Ireland failing to score a single goal.“India performed phenomenally. They took charge from the starting bell against Ireland and never took their foot off the gas pedal. I was particularly pleased with Mandeep Singh, who was brilliant in his role.Mandeep was a revelation today; his goal and assist were a testament to his skill and vision on the field. He’s been in hot form lately, and this performance is sure to boost his confidence.Today’s Indian defense was rock-solid. They didn’t allow the Irish side any breathing space, and their penalty corner defense was supremely good. A clean sheet is a huge boost to their morale and sets them up for the matches ahead.Siddiqui wraps it up by saying, This win sends a very strong message to the fellow teams in the FIH Pro League: India is a force to reckon with, and the performances will only soar higher from here. The coming weeks will be interesting to see how they’ll train against tougher opponents.” – Aman Siddiqui, a sports analyst, stated this to true-to-life.After the game, Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh declared, “We are really happy with the win.” “As a team, we performed well and generated multiple scoring opportunities. We have to make an effort to keep up this momentum in our next games. India’s triumph demonstrates its strength and will, sending a strong message to their rivals.The team hopes to build upon this victory, as tougher challenges await them. Heading into the match are Mandeep Singh and his teammates, who are expected to make quite an impact at the tournament. The next challenge for the Indian team will be Great Britain on April 2, as they go in search of consecutive wins. After this performance, the Indian team has stirred up excitement among hockey fans, who will be eagerly waiting to see how the team performs in their upcoming matches. Stay updated with the latest news.
By Anusmita Bhatta
Reporting for True To Life News Media Pvt. Ltd.