CHENNAI: Three-time champion and host India started its Asian Champions Trophy campaign on a resounding note, thrashing China 7-2 in its opening match of the tournament here on Thursday.
Skipper Harmanpreet Singh (5th, 8th minutes) and Varun Kumar (19th, 30th) converted two penalty corners each for India, while Sukhjeet Singh (15th), Akashdeep Singh (16th) and Mandeep Singh (40th) were the other goal scorers for India.
China’s two goals came from the sticks of Wenhui E (18th) and Jiesheng Gao (25th). India will play Japan on Friday.
With the win, India goes top of the standings based on superior goal difference. Before the match, India’s Amit Rohidas and Sumit were felicitated for making their 150th and 100th international appearances, respectively. India went on the offensive right from the start, pushing China on the backfoot.
India maintained possession and attacked the opponent’s half with long balls. The strategy worked immediately as India took the lead minutes into the game via a penalty corner. Captain Harmanpreet Singh drove the ball past the Chinese goalkeeper to hand India a 1-0 lead. Minutes later, Harmanpreet doubled India’s lead from the second penalty corner.
Indian fans in Chennai didn’t have to wait too long to cheer a third goal as Sukhjeet Singh scored from a rebound after Varun Kumar’s drag flick was saved by the Chinese custodian. The first quarter ended with India leading 3-0.
India carried the momentum into the second quarter and quickly got the fourth goal of the match. Akashdeep Singh stormed into the Chinese half and found the back of the goal with a well-placed shot.
China, though, pulled one back against the run of play as it made the most of defensive lapse by the Indian defence and scored its first goal of the match. Varun Kumar failed to intercept an aerial pass and China’s E Wenhui made sure he slammed it past the diving Indian goalkeeper Krishan Pathak.
Stung by the goal, India attacked with verve and restored its four-goal cushion soon after. Varun Kumar made up for his defensive error and made it 5-1 for India from a penalty corner.
Varun scored again just before the break to make it 6-2 for India heading into half-time. Gao Jiesheng scored the second for China in between Varun’s two strikes.
The second half saw India extend its margin of victory with Mandeep Singh scoring from a penalty corner in the third quarter.
Earlier, Firhan Ashari struck twice as Malaysia defeated Pakistan 3-1. For Malaysia, Ashari scored in the 28th and 29th minutes, while Shello Silverius found the net in the 44th minute. Pakistan’s lone goal was scored by Abdul Rehman in the 55th minute.
In the first match, defending champion South Korea started its title defence on a winning note, beating Japan 2-1.