Indian eves target win against confident Spain

Bhubaneswar, Feb 17: Indian women’s hockey team is eager to get back to winning ways as they prepare to face Spain in their next set of FIH Pro League matches on February 18 and 19 here at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium.
After a promising start with a thrilling 3-2 victory over England in their opener, the Salima Tete-led side narrowly missed out on a bonus point in their second game, losing 2-1 in a dramatic shootout after the match ended 2-2 in regulation time.
Despite showing resilience, India currently sits in eighth place in the standings with four points from two games and will be looking to climb higher in the points table as they face a confident Spanish side. India’s performance against England offered glimpses of their potential, particularly in penalty corner conversions, where they scored twice from three attempts in their opening match.
However, they failed to replicate that success in the second game, going 0 for 3 in penalty corners. Vice-captain Navneet Kaur, the team’s top scorer so far, has been in fine form, scoring a goal in each of the two games and providing stability to the Indian forward line.
The team is focused on sharpening their skills in key areas like set-piece execution and defensive coordination as they prepare to take on Spain.
Spain, on the other hand, arrives on the back of two consecutive victories against Germany in the India leg of the FIH Pro League. They secured back-to-back 2-1 wins over the Germans, boosting their confidence ahead of their encounters with India. Despite their strong recent performances, Spain has had a mixed run overall, with just two wins and one shootout victory in the six games they’ve played so far.
Currently placed fourth in the points table with eight points, Spain will be looking to further consolidate their position.
Patricia Alvarez has been their standout player, scoring twice to lead the team’s goal tally. For India, this upcoming doubleheader is not just about reclaiming momentum but also about gaining crucial points, which will set the tone for the rest of their campaign.
The hosts will also look to capitalise on the home crowd’s support and rectify the mistakes from their previous matches. (IANS)