India ended Malaysia’s unbeaten run and kept their own going in the ongoing Asia Cup on Thursday with a 6-2 masterclass in their second super 4s clash at the Moulana Bhashani Hockey Stadium. India have failed to win just one of their games so far – a 1-1 draw against Korea in their first super 4s clash.
However, against Malaysia, the Indian team produced a near-perfect game with India’s strike force once again imposing their authority on the game.
Here are the talking points from a scintillating show by India:
Strikers leave a mark
Against Korea, Indian strikers SV Sunil, Akashdeep Singh, Chinglensana Singh failed to break the Korean defence and were left struggling for space. Coach Sjoerd Marijne knew he had to tackle the problem immediately if they were to lift the title Asia Cup on Sunday.
Against Malaysia, the team stuck to their basics and mdae quick one-touch passes to leave the Malaysian defence in a tizzy. Along with five field goals, a superbly taken penalty corner cemented India’s dominance over the game. Akashdeep, Harmanpreet Singh, SK Uthappa, Gurjant Singh, Sunil and Sardar Singh were on the goal scorers list. In five games, India have netted 22 goals and look certain for a lot more if they keep up the same momentum in their upcoming clashes.
The two-time winners’ certainly turned a corner against Malaysia, who have been India’s bogey team in recent times. In the Sultan Azlan Shah Trophy and the Hockey World League Semi-Final, India’s laboured passing let them down, resulting in shocking defeats. Here, their crisp passing and ruthlessness in front of goal were a stark contrast to the lacklustre displays in the circle in the two aforementioned games. However, their match against Korea proved that the team is only two bad quarters away from losing their confidence and they would do well to keep their feet on the ground.
Akash Chikte and Suraj Karkera stand tall
A lot has been said about the Indian defence with Surender Kumar, Varun Kumar and Dipsan Tirkey having done a tidy job in the tournament so far – having conceded just five goals in the process. With Sardar Singh also playing deep, the opposition has found it tough to crack the Indian defence.
However, goalkeepers Akash Chikte and Suraj Karkera have done an extremely commendable job while guarding the goalpost. Chikte managed to keep a clean sheet against Bangladesh in their 7-0 drubbing. They again impressed versus Pakistan, making a series of saves in the first and fourth quarters.
The duo have managed to fill in the boots of former captain PR Sreejesh, who is out due to an injury. With Marijne making sure both get enough game time, the duo have made a name for themselves.
Against Malaysia, Karkera made some stunning saves to deny the opposition a chance to make a comeback. Malaysia earned a couple of penalty corners early on but could not capitalize due to the efforts of Karkera and the Indian defense. A total of eight penalty corners were given to Malaysia and they could convert only one with Ramadan Rosli scoring the second goal for them.
Pakistan test awaits
On Saturday, India face arch-rivals Pakistan once more in their final Super 4s match. India is all but assured of a place in the final on Sunday. However, they will have to be at their best or else Pakistan can spring a surprise. In their first encounter, India beat them 3-1 and will look to continue their dominating run against them. India are atop the table in Super 4 stage with four points from a win and a draw, followed by Malaysia (3 points), Korea (2 points) and Pakistan (1) from two games each. A draw will ensure India’s progress to the final, however, they will be looking for a solid win ahead of Sunday’s final showdown.
India has had a splendid run against Pakistan off-late beating them twice in the World Hockey League semi-final and their group clash and the win against Malaysia sets them up to extend their run again.