Olympic bronze-medallists India wasted chances galore to lose 0-2 to world champions Germany in the first hockey Test of the two-match series in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Skipper Harmanpreet Singh and Sukhjeet Singh scored a brace each to hand India a 5-3 victory over World champions Germany in the second hockey Test, but the hosts lost the two-match series via shoot-out at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, in Delhi, on Thursday.
Australia set up a showdown with Belgium in the men's hockey final at the Tokyo Olympics after handing 2016 Olympic bronze medallists Germany a 3-1 defeat on Tuesday.
Eight-time champions India defeated Germany 5-4 in a thrilling men's hockey bronze medal play-off to win an Olympic medal at the Tokyo Games after 41 years, on Thursday.
Indian men's hockey team witnessed a disappointing start to its campaign at the six-nation Invitational tournament, losing 0-4 to Germany in their opening match in Valencia on Monday. In a first quarter blitz, Germany took the lead in the fifth minute via Mats Grambusch. Grambusch doubled Germany's lead minutes later before Moritz Furste scored a third in the 14th minute to take a 3-0 lead into the first break.
The Kookaburras had pulled ahead twice in the game, thanks to goals by Tom Wickham, but the Netherlands managed to equalise through goals by Mink van der Weerden and Jeroen Hertzberger.
India will next play mighty Australia on Sunday.
France and Germany will clash in the final of the Junior Men's Hockey World Cup. The French made history when they beat Malaysia via the penalty shoot-out in the first semi-final to make their maiden appearance in the final while the defending champions Germans got the better of the Netherlands 5-3.
Germany outclassed last edition silver medallist Netherlands
The hosts will face Australia in the semi-final on Friday.
Pakistan avenged their Asian Games final loss when they beat India 4-3 in Bhubaneswar on Saturday to enter the Champions Trophy hockey final.
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