By s2h Team

Rarely does a goalkeeper of a team winning 6-0 pick up the man-of-the-match award. Today was one such day, the recipient being Suraj Karkera, the young Indian goalkeeper whose exploits frustrated Asian Games champions Japan in the 2021 Asian Champions Trophy at the Maulana Bhasani stadium in Dhaka on Sunday.

Karkera and fellow-goalkeeper Krishan Pathak, who also excelled, alternated between quarters and have taken the opportunity to showcase their prowess after the iconic PR Sreejesh was rested for this campaign. The result ensured India first position on the five-nation table with 10 points but their semi-final opponents will be known after the Bangladesh vs Pakistan encounter later in the day.

It also ensured that India kept up their domination over Japan who have never beaten the 2020 Tokyo Olympic bronze medallists in tournament play.

South Korea are second with six points and will also wait for the result to spot their opponents in the last four. Later in the day, it turned out to be India.

Harmanpreet Singh scored two goals from his feared drag-flicks (10’, 53’) to lead the tournament scorers’ list with six. Dilprit (23’), Jarmanpreet (34’), Sumit (46’) and Shamsher (54’) completed Japan’s misery.

Japan packed their midfield by pulling back Kazuma Murata but India’s slick forward line kept knocking on the door.

After end-to-end action in the early minutes, India shot ahead after Lalit Upadhyay, Sumit and Gurshahibjit Singh combined to force a penalty corner. Harmanpreet obliged with a low drag-flick to the goalkeeper’s right.

Japan produced chances despite their lightweight attack and Ryosei Kato failed to put away Kenta Tanaka’s cross from the left.

India were also to agonize as Lalit Kumar Upadhyay missed a sitter on the second time of asking after Yoshikawa Takashi’s pad blocked his initial shot but there was no denying India another goal.

A real team goal this – Shilanand Lakra, Shamsher and Dilprit combining excellently for the last name to slot home angularly in the second quarter.

Jarmanpreet’s ferocious tomahawk from top of the circle that zoomed high into the net after the umpire played a good advantage gave India a 3-0 advantage at the start of the third quarter.

Japan made a concerted effort to come back into the game and may have succeeded in reducing the margin if not for Karkera’s fortitude – the young Pune lad sticking out his left glove to deny Japan a field goal.

He was to do so again to foil a drag flick from Fujishima Raiki and moments later blocked Kenta Tanaka’s shot on the turn after the Japanese star burst into the circle in a counter-attack as the third quarter drew to a close.

A flurry of goals flattened Japan in the last quarter. Sumit scored from a melee after Lakra played the ball into the cirle to make it 4-0.

Harmanpreet then scored his second, this time with a high drag-flick to the top right corner of the goal to make it 5-0.

Shamsher Singh rounded off after accepting Lakra’s pass to make it a tennis score.

India will now meet