IND vs NED Dream11 : Dream start by India in the Pro League 2020, powering a superb 5-2 win against 3rd ranked Netherlands in the 1st match at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneshwar.
India needed less than 15 seconds to take lead in the 1st game on Saturday against the Netherlands. Rupinder Pal-Singh, Lalit Upadhyay and Manpreet Singh powered India to a 5-2 crushing victory over a formidable Dutch side. India could have not expected a better start than this in the Pro League. Walking into the 2nd leg Graham Reid & Co. are confident of negotiating the tie against the Dutch side to complete the first phase of the Pro League. The Men in Blue should expect a high pressure game on Sunday as the visitors will try to get back into the league.
The visiting side needs to focus on their own strengths; the Dutch drag flickers had a bad day at work, as they could convert only 1 out of 9 penalty corners they received. The visitors came back strong in the 2nd quarter but could not carry the momentum in the 3rd and the 4th quarter of the opener on Saturday. The Dutch strategy of holding some of their key midfielders in the opener did not pay off; the likes of Kemperman Robert and Jorrit Croon were missed on the field. Max Caldas & Co. have a job on their hands to make a come back in the 2nd leg.
Team News
No injuries reported from the last game, India might start with the same team and the Netherlands are expected to make a few changes to their midfield. Nikanta Sharma received a green card in the 23rd minute in the first leg.
IND vs NED FIH Hockey Pro League Probable Playing XI
India: PR Sreejesh, Harmanpreet Singh, Rupinder Singh, S Kumar, K Khadangbam, L Upadhyay, Manpreet SIngh, Sumit V Kumar, Akashdeep Singh and C Kangujam.
Netherlands: P Blaak, L Balk, Joep De Mol, Glenn Schuurman, M Van der Weerden, B Bakker, R Kemperman, J Croon, Diede Van Puffelen, S Van Ass, and J Hertzberger
Match Details
FIH Hockey Pro League 2020
Match: India vs Netherlands 2nd Leg
Venue: Kalinga Hockey Stadium, Bhubaneshwar
Date & Time: 19th January 2020, 07:30 PM IST
Key Information
Current FIH World Rankings
India: Rank 5
Netherlands: Rank 3
Previous 10 Head-to-Head meetings in all competitions
Wins: India – 5 I Netherlands – 4
Draws: 1
Goals Scored: India – 24 I Netherlands – 26
Pivotal Players
India: Rupinder Singh, Manpreet Singh and Lalit Upadhyay
Netherlands:Billy Bakker, Diede Van Puffelen and J Hertzberger
IND vs NED Dream11 Goalkeeper
I am anticipating the Dutch side to come back strong and hard on Sunday, I will be sticking to Blaak Pirmin as he had a tremendous outing on Saturday making 12 saves and blocking 6 penalty corners. Blaak is still the visiting sides first choice Goalkeeper for the 2nd leg.
IND vs NED Dream11 Defenders
Rupinder Pal-Singh was seen at his best converting 2 penalty corners out of three that came his way. Singh is India’s first choice drag flickers and is expected to carry on scoring even in the 2nd leg on Sunday. Harmanpreet Singh was sensational on Saturday, his game awareness and anticipation of through balls really played off well. The 2nd leg will through more challenges on the Indian defensive unit and I am sure India will look to consolidate the lead in the 1st phase of the Pro League.
Glenn Schuurman and Mink Van Der Weerden who had an off day on the field will look to pull things back, Billy Bakker in the midfield will play a supporting role for the Dutch defense by cutting of dangerous attacks in the interim basis.
IND vs NED Dream11 Midfielders
Billy Baker and Diede Van Puffelen will be playing a decisive role for the Netherlands in the 2nd leg. Captain Bakker is expected to hold the position and support the defensive unit; whereas Van Puffelen would have the privilege of being more creative in his moves and will concentrate only on attacks up front. Feeding through balls will be the only responsibility on Sunday.
Manpreet Singh the Indian skipper was calm and composed in the 1st leg, his creative play making paid off right from the first quarter itself. India must think about building their lead early in the game, as the formidable Dutch side has the capability of bouncing back any time. In the 2nd half Manpreet-Singh might play a defensive role to consolidate the position.
IND vs NED Dream11 Forwards
Mandeep Singh and Lalit Upadhyay both scored in the first leg which turned out to be decisive on Saturday. The 2nd leg is expected to be a high pressure game and India will have to capitalise on the opportunities that come their way. Mandeep-Singh and Upadhyay are the men in form and will help India extend their lead.
In spite of scoring in the 1st leg Jeroen Hertzberger had a below par game on Saturday. Hertzberger is expected to be more decisive for the visitors on Sunday and is expected to lead the Dutch attack
IND vs NED Dream11 Power Players
I am anticipating a high scoring game on Sunday and for their goal scoring abilities Rupinder Pal-Sing is the Captain and Lalit Upadhyay is his deputy.
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Dream 11 Disclaimer
All our selections are based on in-depth and astute analysis of the players partaking in the match and a perusal of other reasoning. Please incorporate a slew of factors while crafting your own side with this article serving as a guide to the match and players.
