Bhubaneshwar: In a battle of nerves where India trailed 0-2 at one stage, the hosts beat 5th ranked Belgium 4-2 in last quarter finals of the day of Champions Trophy ’14, at the Kalinga Stadium.

For the hosts the goals came from Rupinderpal (18th minute), S Uthappa (27th), Akashdeep (41st) and Dharamvir (49th), whereas Felix Denayer (12th), Sébastien Dockier (18th) found the net for the visitors.

9th ranked India now take on the previous version’s Bronze medallist Pakistan in the semi-finals. For the second time in a row, India has made it to the final-four of Champions Trophy.

The match played at frantic pace, had action happening by the minute from both the teams but it was Belgium that looked in control for the first twenty minutes.

They earned two successive penalty corners in the 9th and the 10th minute but couldn’t succeed on either of them. India managed to pick a counter while defending and, courtesy a wristy square pass from Nikkin, Dharamvir was set. He failed to clear the goalkeeper and India missed on sure-shot opportunity to score a goal.

Belgium pressed harder, and in the 12th minute, earned a penalty corner. Felix Denayer scored a low flick which went inches away from Sreejesh’s left foot.

The 2013 EuroHockey Silver medallist found their momentum going in the second quarter as well. Three minutes into the second quarter, a whack from Tanguy Cosnys found the deflection from Sebastien Dockier. Belgium led 2-0.

But a determined India staged a spirited come-back. Moments later, Sunil earned a short corner for India. While executing the penalty corner, the clever Coorg-ite complicated matters for the Belgians when he ran down the circle blocking the view of Belgian custodian. Consequently, Rupinderpal’s high drag-flick found no obstructions on the way.

After their first goal, Indians never let the Belgians regroup and looked in complete control of the game. Two minutes later, a bullish hit from Ramandeep got deflected from the cross-bars.

Akashdeep missed on scoring in the 26th minute but the Indians wouldn’t have regretted that miss for long. Within a minute, a long cross ball from Raghunath found a deflection from SK Uthappa’s stick. Trailing two goals at one stage, India bounced back in the game drawing parity at the score board 2-2.

Post lemon-break, Belgium got an opportunity to establish a lead yet again in the 38th minute. After Sreejesh saved one straight shot, the subsequent rebound was caught by Florent van Aubel. His shot from close range was heading for the target but, unluckily for the Belgians, ended up finding the foot of Tom Boon.

India bounced back three minutes later when Akashdeep managed to score in a scramble at the goalmouth. The elated crowd celebrated and, for the first time in the game in the 41st minute, India led 3-2.

In the 49th minute, India picked a counter-attack after defending a penalty corner against the Belgians. Raghunath connected the pass to the fleet-footed Nikkin on left, who in turn passed it to the Sardara in center-flank. The captain relayed it to Dharamvir who nudged the ball between the legs of Belgian keeper, Vincent Vanasch. India led 4-2 emphatically.

Thereafter, Belgians went on the offensive in search of a goal but their forwards lacked finishing. They missed a deflection on more than handful occasions. In the 54th minute, the 5th-ranked Europeans earned a penalty corner, their fifth in the game, but failed to stop the push cleanly.

In spite of India being down to ten players for five minutes in the final quarter after Rupinderpal got a yellow card, Belgium failed to exploit the opportunity to reduce the goal deficit.

A couple of days back, underdogs India had stunned 2nd ranked Netherlands in a league encounter. Today’s win against Belgium is second on the trot. The home team now plays their arch-rivals Pakistan on Saturday at 1930hrs, local time.