It was a comprehensive win for India over Pakistan in the Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament in Chennai on Wednesday. In a match attended by Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin and cricketer R Ashwin, India won 4-0.
Captain Harmanpreet Singh was on target twice from penalty corners, and Jugraj Singh and Akashdeep Singh scored once each.
India are yet to be beaten at the tournament. They have four wins and a draw so far and had already made the semifinals before the match against Pakistan.
India are at the top of the table with 13 points.
Pakistan needed a draw or a one goal margin of defeat to make it to the last four. But now they head back home.
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India will meet Japan in the semifinal on Friday, and Malaysia take on Korea.
On the eve of the encounter at Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium, Pakistan coach Muhammad Saqlain had said that India did not play structural hockey. It was analysis of a style and not criticism, but it sounded to some like the latter.
"India is not playing structural hockey, but Pakistan is. India is simply playing over fitness," Saqlain said at the pre-match media conference. "Structural hockey is played by Korea and Japan. India has been playing behind the ball mostly and relying mainly on counter-attacking.”
India too were respectful of their opponents, expecting them to be extra motivated as they were chasing a semifinal spot.
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"They are in a very strong fighting position because they need to get results, and they need goals as well. So, we have to match that," India coach Craig Fulton had said.
But once the starting whistle blew, it was one-way traffic.
It was the reliable Harmanpreet who put India ahead. Towards the end of the first quarter, he converted the team's first penalty corner with a strong, low flick to Pakistan goalkeeper Akmal Hussain’s left.
In the 23rd minute, India got their second penalty corner. This time, Harmanpreet nutmegged Akmal with a loaded drag-flick.
Pakistan admittedly had fielded a young team for experience but they struggled to restrain India. In fact India got two successive penalty corners in the 30th minute. But this time Harmanpreet could not score, and India went into half-time leading 2-0.
Six minutes after resumption, India got their third, when Jugraj Singh scored on a penalty corner. The rout was complete when Akashdeep Singh netted India’s fourth in the 55th minute.
