India routs Malaysia 5-0 to move to the top of the table in Hero Asian Champions Trophy

Indian men’s hockey team treated a festive crowd to a great feast of hockey by notching up an impressive 5-0 win over Malaysia in the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Hockey Tournament at Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai on Sunday. The win, the second in three matches, takes India to the top of the table with seven points while Malaysia, the earlier leader, has been relegated to the second spot with six points,

Earlier, Pakistan dropped a point when it played an exciting 3-3 draw with the Asian games’ champions Japan. China, after losing the first two games to India and Malaysia, salvaged some of its prestige by holding the defending champions Korea to a 1-1 draw.

Since Malaysia had toppled Pakistan 3-1 on the opening day, a lot was expected in the India-Malaysia match today. The home team, however, played to a strategy without allowing much room for their opponents to work out their moves. Their star forward Ashari Firhan was well-marked.

India started well taking the lead in the 15^th minute through a brilliant field goal by Selvam Karthi, a local boy. Vice-Captain Hardik Singh consolidated the lead by scoring from a rebound of a penalty corner in the 32^nd minute before skipper Harmanpreet Singh also got his name on the scorer list with a neat drag flick.

Gurjant Singh made the score 4-0 with a brilliant field goal in the 53^rd minute before drag flicker Jugraj Singh completed the tally for India with a penalty corner conversion in the 54^th minute.

In the match between Korea and China, Jong Jonghyun gave the former 1-0 lead in the 18^th minute with a penalty corner conversion. China restored parity in the 43^rd minute through Chen Chongcong with a field goal.

Pakistan squandered away the lead it had taken against Japan to end the game with a 3-3 draw. After losing to Malaysia in the opener, Pakistan had played a 1-1 draw with Korea and has thus two points from three games to be placed fifth on the table.

Prabhjot Singh