The Indian women’s hockey team suffered a 1-3 defeat against Germany in the opening match of the London leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023/24. Deepika was the sole scorer for India, finding the net in the 23rd minute, while Charlotte Stapenhorst (13’), Sonja Zimmermann (24’), and Nike Lorenz (37’) scored for Germany.
India approached the game cautiously, maintaining a solid defensive structure to thwart Germany’s attacks. The team relied on short, precise passes to create openings in Germany’s circle but was unable to score in the first quarter.
Germany increased the pace in the latter part of the first quarter, putting pressure on India and securing a 1-0 lead with Charlotte Stapenhorst’s close-range goal. The second quarter saw India stepping up its offensive game, culminating in Deepika’s successful conversion of a penalty corner to level the score at 1-1.
However, Germany responded swiftly as Sonja Zimmermann netted a goal from a penalty corner, putting them ahead once again at 2-1. Both teams earned several penalty corners towards the end of the quarter, but were unable to capitalize on the opportunities. As the teams headed into halftime, Germany held a slender lead of 2-1.
India began the second half aggressively, but Germany’s resolute defence thwarted their attacks. The third quarter saw Germany extending their lead through a goal from Captain Nike Lorenz, bringing the score to 3-1 in favour of Germany.
In the final 15 minutes, India pushed hard to mount a comeback, creating multiple scoring chances, but Germany’s defence remained solid. The match concluded with Germany emerging as the 3-1 victors.
The Indian women’s hockey team will face Great Britain in their next match on Sunday.