Rajgir, Bihar, Sep 5 (PTI) – On the brink of reaching the final, the Indian men's hockey team, under the leadership of Harmanpreet Singh, is set to elevate their performance as they face the challenging Chinese side in the last Super 4 stage match of the Asia Cup here on Saturday.
After a disappointing 2-2 draw with five-time champions South Korea, India rebounded with an impressive 4-1 victory over Malaysia in their second Super 4 encounter. This result has surely boosted the team’s morale ahead of their contest against China.
The convincing win propelled India to the top of the standings with four points from two matches. China and Malaysia have three points each, while Korea finds itself at the bottom with just one point.
The top two teams from the Super 4s will make it to the final, and India needs just a draw on Saturday to secure their place in Sunday’s summit clash.
After a low-energy start against Korea, India showed more determination and grit against Malaysia, even though the beginning wasn’t ideal. They were slow off the blocks and conceded an early goal before pulling together to secure a dominant victory.
Chief coach Craig Fulton acknowledged post-match that the squad is “still not there” in terms of peak performance, even as expectations from them continue to soar.
The key lies in elevating their game by committing to the fine details. The Indian midfield, orchestrated by veterans like Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, and Rajinder Singh, demonstrated excellent coordination with the forwards against Malaysia.
Hardik Singh, in particular, brought energy to the midfield with his fast dribbling skills and solo runs.
Manpreet Singh proved once again to be indispensable for the team, showcasing his ability to create opportunities and score, as evidenced by his performance against Malaysia.
The forward trio of Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, and Mandeep Singh has been impressive, and they will strive to maintain their attacking prowess throughout the rest of the tournament.
Young Shilanand Lakra, aiming to solidify his spot after recovering from a long injury period, also contributed by creating and scoring against Malaysia.
However, India must capitalize on opportunities within the opposition circle by staying calm and composed.
One concern for coach Fulton is the conversion rate of penalty corners. Despite a strong start, skipper Harmanpreet seemed to struggle with set pieces, alongside Jugraj Singh, Sanjay, and Amit Rohidas facing challenges too. India managed to convert only one out of six penalty corners against Malaysia, which came from a rebound.
Fulton emphasized the need for consistent all-round efforts, saying, "Good defense, good pressing, good turnovers.” He noted that while the team gets it right in one match, it sometimes falters in another.
Meanwhile, China, ranked 22nd in the world, has shown significant improvement since their narrow 4-3 defeat to India in the pool stages, demonstrating mental resilience in tough matches.
A minor lapse from India could jeopardize their direct qualification to next year's World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands. The Asia Cup serves as a qualifying event for this tournament.
The day's other Super 4 match-up will see Malaysia take on South Korea.
Teams:
India: Krishan B Pathak (GK), Suraj Karkera (GK), Sumit, Jarmanpreet Singh, Sanjay, Harmanpreet Singh (C), Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh, Rajinder Singh, Raj Kumar Pal, Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Mandeep Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Dilpreet Singh.
China: Xu Ao, Qijun Chen, Jiesheng Gao, Chengfu Chen, Yuanfeng Meng, Pengfei Li, Chongcong Cheng (C), Yuanlin Lu, Dihao Meng, Shihao Du, Xiaojia Zhang, Suozhu Ao, Nan Meng, Changliang Lin, Weihao Wang (GK), Caiyu Wang (GK), Yang Ao, Benhai Chen.
Match starts at 7:30 PM.
(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
