Jalandhar, Oct 29 Skipper Harmanpreet Singh and striker Sukhjeet Singh scored a brace each in front of the home crowd as India defeated a youthful China 5-2 to register their second consecutive win at the Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament here on Thursday.
Sukhjeet (12th, 34th minutes) scored two fine field goals, while Harmanpreet (27th, 31st) converted two penalty corners for India. Jugraj Singh (47th) also found the net from a set piece for the hosts at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium.
The Chinese scored both their goals from penalty corners converted by Peng Yang (26th) and Chongcong Chen (36th).
India had defeated Bangladesh 13-0 in their tournament opener, while China lost 4-5 against Asian Games silver medallist Malaysia 4-5 on Tuesday.
India will next play Japan on Friday, while China will be up against South Korea.
The Indians controlled the proceedings from the word go and made plenty of circle penetrations but failed to create any real opportunity till the 13th minute.
In the 13th minute, Jugraj’s perfect scoop from the deep found a lonely Sukhjeet inside the Chinese circle, and the striker beautifully controlled the ball and lobbed it over Chinese goalkeeper Huanyu Wu to break the deadlock for India.
China had their first chance in the form of a penalty corner in the 18th minute but the Indian defence was up to the task and denied the visitors.
India then secured back-to-back penalty corners in the 20th minute but failed to utilise the chances as skipper Harmanpreet flicked wide from the second effort.
But credit must go to the youthful, inexperienced Chinese side as it thwarted numerous raids from the Indians before equalising in the 26th minute from a penalty corner.
Peng Yang perfectly converted their second penalty corner with a drag-flick to the right of Indian goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak to level the scores.
But a minute later, India restored their lead when Harmanpreet found the back of the net with a powerful low flick from the hosts’ third penalty corner.
The Chinese gave a good account of themselves by securing consecutive penalty corners just 30 seconds from half-time but the Indians defended well to go into the breather with a slender one-goal lead.
The Indians started on a bright note after the change of ends with Harmanpreet scoring with another grounded flick from the team’s fourth penalty corner to hand the home team a 3-1 lead.
India extended their lead three minutes later when Sukhjeet slotted in a pass from Aditya Arjun Lalage after he beautifully controlled an aerial ball from Harmanpreet from the half line.
The young Chinese, however, were in no mood to give up as they pulled one back two minutes later when Chongcong Chen found the net with a neatly executed variation from their fourth penalty corner.
India soon secured their fifth penalty corner but this time Jugraj Singh’s flick was easily palmed away by Chinese goalkeeper Wu.
India continued to press hard on the Chinese defence and secured back-to-back penalty corners two minutes into the fourth and final quarter, and this time, Jugraj made no mistake, firing home with a powerful grounded flick.
Two minutes from the final hooter, India secured another penalty corner, but this time, Harmanpreet’s effort was kept away by the Chinese goalkeeper.
(PTI News)
