India take on Spain in bid to consolidate top spot in FIH Pro League

The Men in Blue will be in action in a double-header against Spain at the weekend.

The 2021-22 Men FIH Pro League campaign will see India clash against Spain in two matches on 26 and 27 February respectively. India will play as the host with the venue being the reputed Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha. Following a successful sojourn for the Men in Blue in South Africa, this will be the first time that the outfit plays Pro League fixtures in India for the ongoing season.

Spain will be a tricky opponent when the two teams meet in a few days’ time. While the home advantage will give Graham Reid’s men a slight edge, it will still be a close encounter regardless. As the two-legs approach between the nations, here is a look at both teams and what is in store for the hockey enthusiasts:

Team India

The outfit currently sits at fifth place in the points table, having played lesser games than teams above them. India has three wins in four matches and will look to climb up the rankings when they face Spain during the weekend.

Until this point, India has managed two 10-2 wins over South Africa and a 5-0 win over France. In between these wins, there was a hiccup where the French decimated the team by a 5-2 scoreline. That performance was very disappointing, exposing a lot of issues in the Indian squad. However, India is still one of the contenders to win the FIH Pro League, carrying on from their historic bronze medal win at the Tokyo Olympics last year. 

Team Spain

Spain’s start to the FIH Pro League did not go according to plan, to say the least. The Europeans have two defeats from two matches. A 6-1 defeat to England was followed by another 3-2 defeat to the same opponents. 

Facing India, the challenge will be tougher for Spain. However, with the backs to the walls, they will look to cause an upset. Being the underdogs on paper, Spain will look to catch India by surprise in their own backyard. 

Key Players

Harmanpreet Singh (India)

India’s powerful drag-flicker is a major threat from penalty corners. The defender is currently the top scorer in the tournament with seven strikes. He is a huge asset to the team because of his contribution to both defence and attack. 

He scored four goals in the previous match, which was a 10-2 win against South Africa. Indian forwards are experts at winning PCs and this is where Harmanpreet Singh will be extremely useful. 

Alvaro Iglesias (Spain)

Spain’s skipper, Alvaro Iglesias, is a major influence on the team. The midfielder will be crucial to his team’s performance when they take the turf on the weekend at the Kalinga Stadium. He is one of the team’s most experienced players and will be vital to their cause.

The 28-year-old has played more than 160 matches for Spain at the international level. He advances the ball well and Indian midfielders will have their hands in the FIH Pro League full with Iglesias. 

Squad

India

PR Sreejesh, Suraj Karkera, Harmanpreet Singh, Mandeep Mor, Surender Kumar, Varun Kumar, Jarmanpreet Singh and Dipsan Tirkey, Manpreet Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Hardik Singh, Jaskaran Singh, Shamsher Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, Akashdeep Singh, Mandeep Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Shilanand Lakra, Sukhjeet Singh, Abhishek, Krishan Bahadur Pathak, Amit Rohidas, Rajkumar Pal, Moirangthem Rabichandra Singh, Dilpreet Singh.

Spain

Adrian Rafi, Alejandro Alonso, Xavier Gispert, Alvaro Iglesias, Jose Basterra, Marc Miralles, Jordi Bonastre, Pepe Cunill, Joaquin Menini, Pau Cunill, Ignacio Roriguez, Ricardo Sanchez, Marc Recasens, Llorenc Piera, Marc Reyne, Antonio Sanz, Rafael Villallonga, Mario Garin.

Did You Know?

• Indian skipper Manpreet Singh won the Khel Ratna in 2021 - the highest sporting honour of the country.
• P.R. Sreejesh was a sprinter and a volleyball player before turning to hockey. 
• Quico Cortes holds the record for making most caps for Spain with 323 appearances.

Broadcast

The FIH Pro League matches between India and Spain will be live-streamed on Disney+ Hotstar app.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Twitter, Instagram and join our community on Telegram.