CHENNAI (India), Dec 16: Taeke Taekema scored a last-minute penalty corner as the Netherlands squeezed past valiant India 2-1 on Friday to join Australia in the Champions Trophy hockey final.

The Dutch, who needed a win to keep defending champions Spain out of the final, were stunned by a fighting display by the hosts before some 8,500 screaming fans at the Mayor Radhakrishnan stadium.

Indian goalkeeper Bharat Chetri warded off the Dutch strikers till the 51st minute when he was beaten by a Roderick Weusthof penalty corner to concede the lead.

India drew level four minutes before the final whistle when Sandeep Singh converted a penalty corner, but Taekema converted one in the dying seconds to give the Dutch a hard-fought win.

The Netherlands ended the six-nation league on 10 points, one point more than Spain, who themselves secured a tough 3-2 win over Germany earlier in the day.

Olympic champions Australia, already assured of a place in the final after four consecutive wins, were held to a 3-3 draw by Pakistan in their last league match.

Pakistan, leading 2-1 early in the second half, conceded two goals in three minutes before Muddassar Khan scored the equaliser 10 minutes from the end.

Pakistan finished at the bottom of the table on two points and will clash with arch-rivals India on Sunday to avoid relegation from next year’s Champions Trophy in Spain.

The title clash on Sunday will be a repeat of the Olympic final in Athens last year in which Australia rode on Jamie Dwyer’s sudden-death goal to down the Netherlands.

The Indians paid the price for wasting five chances against the Dutch, who were clearly rattled by goalkeeper Chetri’s brilliant performance.

“I can’t believe we lost after dominating a major part of the 70 minutes,” said a visibly distraught Indian coach Rajinder Singh.

“It should have been 4-1 in our favour. We did everything right but score. Chetri was too good today but he too would have felt happier if the team had won.”

Dutch coach Roelant Oltmans complimented the Indians, but stressed his team deserved to be in the final for the way they played through the tournament.

“The Indians gave us a shock, but we deserve to be there,” he said. “It should be a good final against Australia.”

Earlier, Santiago Freixa scored once in each half to give Spain a comfortable 2-0 lead, before the Germans threw the game open with a stirring fightback.

Niklas Meinert scored off Germany’s first penalty corner in the 51st minute and even as Ramon Alegre made it 3-1 for Spain in the 57th, the Germans narrowed the margin a minute later through Matthias Witthaus.

Germany, without eight top stars who retired after the Athens Olympics last year, were unlucky not to get the equaliser in the last three minutes of the game.

German midfielder Carlos Nevado shot wide off an open goal in the 67th and then saw his team denied a penalty corner just before the final whistle.

“We let it slip a bit at the end, but I must credit to the Germans for fighting back so well,” said Spanish coach Maurits Hendriks.

Spain and Germany meet again on Sunday to decide the bronze medallists.—Agencies