Spain beat India 2-0 in their FIH Men’s Pro League clash in Hobart on Saturday, striking early and then holding firm.
The opening goal arrived in the sixth minute. A searching sweep from deep unsettled the Indian defence, with Lacalle Borja getting a touch at the top of the circle to guide it into danger. Ignacio Abajo timed his run perfectly, slipping across goalkeeper Suraj Karkera and steering the ball into the net.
Spain almost doubled the lead soon after. India faltered while playing out from the back as Jugraj Singh, having won possession from Joaquin Menini, was dispossessed by Marc Reyne. The ball was squared to Guillermo Fortuno at the back post and he converted.
But relief came via review. The TV Umpire spotted a stick check from Reyne on Jugraj in the buildup, and the goal was overturned.
Spain held a 1-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Yet there were flickers of promise, with Abhishek injecting urgency in the circle, probing and unsettling the Spanish defence occasionally. But that spark never grew into sustained pressure.
The second goal arrived in the third quarter and, this time, there was no reprieve. Cabre worked the ball superbly down the right before cutting it back to Ignacio Cobos on the edge of the circle. Cobos struck a firm, low effort that skimmed off Karkera’s pads and into the net.
India did attempt to respond. In the 48th minute, Abhishek’s sharp effort from the left forced a save from Luis Calzado, the rebound rising high and dangerously off the goalkeeper’s pads to earn India their first penalty corner of the contest. From the set piece, Amandeep Lakra struck cleanly, but Calzado reacted swiftly, diving low to his left to preserve Spain’s advantage.
India, however, never fully recovered from the early blow. The defeat follows a difficult Rourkela leg, where it lost all four matches, scoring five and conceding 19.
India will next face Australia at the same venue on Sunday.
Published on Feb 21, 2026
