Moqi (China), Sep 14 (IANS) Unbeaten Indian Men’s Hockey Team registered a thrilling 2-1 victory against nemesis Pakistan in the much-awaited encounter between the Asian heavyweights here at the Asian Champions Trophy 2024 on Saturday.
It was Captain Harmanpreet Singh’s (13′, 19′) brace that ensured India ended the league stage unbeaten and at the top of the points table. For Pakistan, Ahmad Nadeem (8′) scored the lone goal.
Both teams lived up to the billing as they kept up the tempo from end to end. Although India made an aggressive start to the match with a couple of circle entries in the opening minutes, it was Pakistan that drew first blood through Ahmad Nadeem in the eighth minute.
Pakistan were cautious in their pursuit as they worked a structured attack. After taking a couple of shots on target, they were successful in their third, with Hannan Shahid making an impressive run through the middle and passing it to Nadeem, who found the back of the net with ease from close range.
India fought back and scored an equalizer in the 13th minute as Captain Harmanpreet Singh made no mistake in converting their first penalty corner of the match. The final minutes saw some end-to-end action, but neither side could find an opening, and the first quarter ended in a 1-1 gridlock.
India started the second quarter brightly and were 2-1 ahead in the 19th minute as Harmanpreet converted the second penalty corner of the match, putting Pakistan on the back foot.
India had a better share of possession in the following minutes, but couldn’t create much danger as they kept losing the ball frequently. Pakistan, on the other hand, managed to create a half-chance, but Nadeem’s pass missed Rooman at the goalmouth.
They also earned their first penalty corner at the stroke of the half time, but Sufiyan Khan’s drag-flick hit the bar, and India ended the first half with a slender 2-1 lead.
India controlled the ball at the start of the third quarter, with flank-to-flank passing to push Pakistan deep into their circle. A mistimed tackle by Sufiyan Khan on Araijeet Singh Hundal at the top of the circle earned India their third penalty corner of the match, but Harmanpreet’s drag-flick was blocked by Pakistan’s first-rusher.
The latter phase of the third quarter saw Pakistan increase their intensity. They earned a series of penalty corners, but Indian goalie Krishan Pathak stood tall to deny Pakistan an equaliser and ended the quarter with a 2-1 lead.
India earned back-to-back penalty corners at the start of the final quarter, but Pakistan’s defense averted the danger. Tempers flared as both teams pushed each other from one end to the other, searching for an opening. Ashraf Waheed Rana received a 10-minute yellow card for a physical foul on Jugraj Singh in India’s circle.
With the extra man, India mounted pressure on Pakistan with relentless attacks but missed out on capitalising as they kept losing possession in the final third. With two minutes to go, Manpreet Singh received a yellow card, leaving both teams with 10 men apiece.
India earned another penalty corner with 90 seconds left on the clock, but Harmanpreet’s shot was blocked, and the rebound was missed by the Indian forward. The defending champions then ran down the clock to edge past Pakistan in what was an intense clash of the tournament.
Hero of the Match, Nilakanta Sharma said, “I know when I have the ball, I don’t want to lose the ball, so just protect the ball, that’s the motive for me. Pakistan gave us a wonderful fight. Although we won the match, we were not happy because we kept losing the ball and it got us in trouble, so we need to improve.”
India will play the semifinal 2 of the Asian Champions Trophy 2024 on Monday. Their opponents will be decided after the last league stage match of the tournament.
–IANS
hs/
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by TodayIndia.news and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of TodayIndia.news We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, TodayIndia.news takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
