India faced a 2-0 defeat against Germany in the first hockey match of their bilateral series on October 23 at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. Germany dominated from the outset, with Henrik Mertgens scoring the opening goal in the fourth minute. Despite India's efforts to find their rhythm, they struggled to penetrate the German defense. The first quarter ended with Germany leading 1-0.
In the second quarter, India earned penalty corners but failed to capitalize. An equaliser in the 27th minute was disallowed after a video referral, and a penalty stroke awarded to India was saved by German goalkeeper Teo Hinrichs. Germany extended their lead to 2-0 by the 30th minute, concluding the first half with that scoreline.
Read Also | Hockey India League will give players chance to learn from overseas talent, feels record-setting buy Udita
In the second half, India continued to struggle with their penalty corners, while Germany maintained offensive pressure. The Indian team found it challenging to create scoring opportunities against a strong German midfield, with Hinrichs earning the Player of the Match award for his standout performance.