Manpreet equaled Dilip Tirkey’s record but India lost their opening Pro League match against Netherlands

India go down to Netherlands in Pro League opener (Image: IANS) On a day when Manpreet Singh equaled Dilip Tirkey’s long-standing record of 412 international appearances – the most by an Indian – the Indian men’s hockey team failed to capitalize on the opportunity, opening their FIH Pro League European leg with a defeat.Despite a much improved performance compared to their opening eight games earlier this year, Craig Fulton’s men lost 2-3 to the Netherlands in Rotterdam on Sunday.Dilpreet Singh and Sukhjeet Singh scored for India, while Miles Bukkens, Koen Bijen and Tijmen Reyenga found the net for the Dutch. However, the margin could have been wider had it not been for Suraj Karkera, who excelled in goal in the first half and ensured that the Netherlands did not convert any of their first 10 penalty corners.His performance even drew praise from former India goalkeeper and two-time Olympic bronze medalist PR Sreejesh at X. This means that reducing the number of penalty corners conceded will be an area that India will need to address ahead of their next game. “We definitely need to improve on the ball. We gave away too many penalty corners, but at the same time we did a good job of defending them,” Fulton said at halftime.“On the counter, as I said, I wanted to see us try to shoot – and there were some good moments, including some one-on-ones. We have to be better on the ball in our own half and do a better job there.”Earlier, the Netherlands took the lead in the third minute through Bukkens, but India equalized in the 10th minute when Dilpreet’s shot was deflected into the net by a Dutch defender. Bijen restored the lead for the visitors eight minutes into the second quarter.India equalized again three minutes into the second half after Hardik Singh won his first penalty corner. Harmanpreet Singh opted for the option and bowled to Hardik who set up Sukhjeet for a simple finish. However, the Dutch were not content with a draw and eventually converted a penalty corner in the 40th minute after failing to score from their first 10 attempts. India went all out in the closing minutes and even pulled their goalkeeper, but the Dutch held firm and prevented India from converting their late penalty corners to secure the win.Captain Harmanpreet, despite creating chances and being involved in both India’s goals, was not too disappointed by the defeat.“The result wasn’t good but it was our first game in a long time and it’s always exciting to play against a strong team,” he said after the match.India will now have a two-day break before taking on Germany in back-to-back matches on Wednesday and Thursday.