FIH Series Finals Bhubaneswar 2019, India vs South Africa, Match Highlights: India win tournament with clinical 5-1 victory

India win FIH Series Finals Bhubaneswar 5-1

That’s the end. India, living up to their rankings and quality, won the final after beating South Africa 5-1. A good effort from the Graham Reid’s side to maintain momentum leading up to the Olympic qualifiers.

Q4: India 5-1 South Africa

First goal for South Africa, thanks to a penalty corner. Richard Pautz ensures there’s a deflection from the close range to the penalty corner and Indians couldn’t stop the ball from going inside the net. I’m afraid it’s too late for the African side.

Q4: India 5-0 South Africa

Lovely variation in the penalty corner and Varun Kumar scores his second goal and India’s fifth of the match. Even a section of press celebrated the goal.

End of Third Quarter

It was a bit of a nervy finish to the quarter for India, with South Africa making a couple of sorties deep into their half. The defence deals with it adeptly though, and Krishan Pathak makes an athletic stop. It’s just a matter of time now. One more quarter and India will emerge as champions.

Q3: India 4-0 South Africa

India didn’t convert a penalty corner. That must be a first in the match. Amit Rohidas’ shot didn’t trouble the defence much.

Q3: India 4-0 South Africa

Vivek Sagar Prasad converts from the close range and India are 4-0 up in the match. Good work from Mandeep Singh in the build up to the goal. That’s most likely the end of South African challenge in the match

Q3: India 3-0 South Africa

Richard Pautz fluffs his lines! After a promising attack from South Africa in the early minutes of the third quarter, the South African finds himself in a yard of space, but whacks the ball into orbit. Krishan Pathak isn’t tested.

End of First Half

This was expected and Graham Reid will be a happy man. South Africa tried their best to slow India’s game but it didn’t work. India are leading 3-0 thanks to goals from Harmanpreet and Varun Kumar. South Africa need a strong start in the second-half.

Q2: India 3-0 South Africa

Penalty stroke for India and Harmanpreet Singh makes no mistake from the spot. South Africa defender stopped Birendra Lakra inside the D and umpire decided to give a penalty stroke. Don’t think South Africa can make a comeback in this game.

Q2: India 2-0 South Africa

It’s a full house at the Kalinga Stadium and they are happy to see India leading the match 2-0. Meanwhile, a good chance for South Africa to score their first goal, but Sreejesh does enough to save the shot from close range.

End of First Quarter

Good job from India. Attacked right from the word go and ended up scoring two goals thanks to penalty corners. South Africa had one decent chance just at the end of first quarter, but the Indian goalkeeper did well to deny the goal. '

Q1: India 2-0 South Africa

Another penalty corner and another goal from India. Too much power in the shot from Harmanpreet Singh and the goalkeeper just couldn’t stop it. Everything is working according to the plan for Graham Reid and India. 2-0 up before the first quarter.

Q1: India 1-0 South Africa

This first quarter has none of the frenetic pace that made the semi-final between India and Japan an absolute thriller. The South Africans have done well to slow down the game a little. They’re still struggling to get anywhere near India’s goal, but they don’t look to be in constant danger.

Q1: India 1-0 South Africa

The start was expected from the Indian team. Coach Graham Reid often speaks about the fast start in the press conferences. South Africa are trying to slow things down.

Q1: India 1-0 South Africa

GOALLL! Just two minutes on the clock and Varun Kumar gives India the lead. Once again, India’s early pressure worked in their favour. It was the game’s first penalty corner and Varun hits a powerful low shot to goalkeeper’s left

Q1: India 0-0 South Africa

And we’re underway here at the Kalinga Stadium! There’s not much on the line in this match other than pride, but both teams have shown incredible spirit over the course of the tournament, and this could be a fiery affair!

And here’s the South African starting XI

Here’s how India line up

These 1⃣1⃣ players will start Team 🇮🇳's last outing of the FIH Men's Series Finals Bhubaneswar Odisha 2019.#IndiaKaGame #FIHSeriesFinals #RoadToTokyo pic.twitter.com/WFeARi0ESj

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) June 15, 2019

India start favourites in summit clash against South Africa, but hosts must look to minimise errors

“Indian hockey’s solo acts are playing well. Coming together in bits and pieces of co-ordinated moves, they were good enough to see off Asian Games Champions Japan 7-2 in the semi-finals on Friday. For Graham Reid, that won’t be enough.” 

Click here  to read more of Sundeep Misra’s preview of the final.

In the third place playoff match, Japan defeated the US in an exciting game. The match ended 4-2 in favour of Japan but the scoreline doesn’t tell the full story. A minute was remaining when the US equalised to make it 2-2, but then Japan scored two in quick succession to take the game away.

It’s the final of the FIH World Series. India take on South Africa. If the rankings are any indication, India should have it easy against the African side. But finals are different ball game altogether so we never know.

Hello and welcome to Firstpost’s coverage of the FIH Series Finals final between India and South Africa!

South Africa, having beaten the United States of America in the semi-finals thanks to a last minute goal, will face India in the finals of the Bhubaneswar leg of the tournament. Both teams have secured their participation in the Olympic qualifiers by virtue of making the finals.