Hyderabad Toofans were rampant against Soorma Hockey Club, drilling in three goals before Harmanpreet and Co found a consolation strike at the stroke of full time. Catch the highlights from the Hockey India League 2024-25 semi-final match in Rourkela
The first semi-final of Hockey India League begins at 6pm IST. It will be broadcast on multiple channels and in multiple languages. The line-up includes the Doordarshan network, including DD Sports, as well as the Sony Sports Network - Sony Ten 1, 3, and 4.
Here's how the two teams line up ahead of push-back in Rourkela:
We are underway. The Bengal Tigers attacking from left to right, and the Tamil Nadu Dragons from right to left in the first two quarters. We might well be seeing the last (or second-last) outing of Rupinder Pal Singh, who came out of retirement to compete in the Hockey India League.
The Tigers garner their second penalty corner in the 14th minute. Jugraj lets rip a superb flick, but Dragons custodian David Harte is equal to the task, his outstretched hand thwarting what could have been the opener for Bengal.
The Dragons too earn a PC in the dying second of the first quarter, but to no avail. We are goalless, heading into the second period of play.
The second quarter starts after the short breather. The Bengal Tigers find a circle penetration early and create another opportunity, but a goal still eludes them.
Nathan Ephraums strikes! A delightful move from the Dragons results in the ball presenting itself at the goalmouth to Ephraums, who makes no mistake with the tap in to put Tamil Nadu ahead in the 18th minute.
What a scintillating quarter. The Bengal Tigers respond at the stroke of half-time with a field goal from Pardeep Singh Sandhu, who slots the ball in to an empty goal calmly to bring his side on level terms.
The mid-game interval is out of the way and play resumes in the second half. And a terrific start for the Tamil Nadu Dragons, who score via local star Karthi Selvam. Anand Lakra makes a probing run down the right flank and sends the ball into the circle, where the waiting Selvam converts to score his third goal of the tournament. The Dragons lead 2-1.
The third quarter ends without much more excitement. The Dragons scored in the first minute of the quarter and enjoyed a one-man advantage for a large chunk of it. Hence, the Tigers would be happy to not have conceded again. But they must score in the fourth and final quarter, if they are to stay alive in this semi-final.
Drama in Rourkela. The on-field umpires overrule the video umpire's decision for a PC re-award to Bengal but the Tigers strike anyway. Sam Lane pops it in, catching the Dragons napping to equalise with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter.
More drama, as Jugraj sends the ball in off a PC but the goal is disallowed upon review, on grounds that the ball did not cross the circle line entirely before the drag-flick. We are still at 2-2 and the final few minutes of regulation time remain.
The final hooter rings out, and the scoreline stays at 2-2. We are headed for a penalty shootout. A cruel way to end the match for both teams, but a thrilling one for the spectators nevertheless.
It is 2-2 in the shootout after the first three attempts for each side. It stays at 2-2 after five, so we are headed for sudden death.
Abhishek puts the ball past David Harte, and the Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers are through to the final! An absolute rollercoaster of a semi-final ends in heartbreak for the Dragons. But after umpteen twists and turns, disallowed goals, referrals, a shootout and sudden death, it is the Tigers who advance for the title round.
There is no time to sit back and breathe, as the second semi-final gets underway soon after the high of sudden death in the first one. Harmanpreet Singh's Soorma Hockey Club attacking from left to right in the first half against Sumit's Hyderabad Toofans.
The first quarter ends without a goal, though Soorma came really close to scoring in the dying seconds, but a superb save by Toofans goalie Bikramjit Singh averted it. The second quarter is now underway.
Amandeep Lakra breaks the deadlock in the 25th minute. He beats the mighty Vincent Vanasch off a drag-flick to put Hyderabad Toofans ahead in the second quarter. Soorma under pressure to equalize, but plenty of time still in the match.
Harmanpreet is in the thick of the action in the final minute of the second quarter, as he drills in a flick off a PC injection. The shot is saved, however, and a resultant counter from Toofans comes to nought. We go into half-time with the scoreline at 1-0 in favour of the Toofans.
Jacob Anderson puts Hyderabad Toofans in the driver's seat with a field goal in the 35th minute. An incisive run from the Toofans leads to the ball falling kindly in front of Anderson, who slides in at the goalmouth to meet the ball and score. Soorma now face a two-goal deficit.
Toofans drill another one in! It is the indefatigable Nilakanta Sharma who scores with the reverse in the 43rd. It is all going Hyderabad's way so far tonight. Soorma now three goals down, and 17 minutes remain in the match. Can Harmanpreet and Co find a way back in from here?
Soorma are going all out in search of goals, and understandably so. They have removed their goalie Vincent Vanasch from the pitch in order to have one more player in attack. Time is ticking away, however, and a three-goal deficit is a big one. Eleven minutes to go before the final hooter.
Play held up a few times owing to multiple video referrals. But Soorma's last-ditch attempts are not yielding fruit, as Toofans custodian Bikramjit Singh is putting in a fabulous performance under the bar to keep Harmanpreet and Co at bay. We are moments away from Toofans' victory.
Soorma get a consolation goal in, right at the end. Jeremy Hayward scores off a penalty corner in the 60th minute, with the clock already having run out. Bikramjit is beaten for once, but Toofans wouldn't care as they zoom into the Hockey India League final with a 3-1 margin. They will face Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers, who had earlier edged out Tamil Nadu Dragons in a thriller, in the title round.