Harmanpreet Singh’s brace of goals and a goal each from the sticks of SV Sunil, who opened the scoring spree, Lalit Upadhyay and Ramandeep Singh marked in the the comprehensive and commanding victory that India posted today against Japan in the 10th Asia Cup opener in Dhaka.
It was India’s 50th match, and the celebration could not have been lesser. India almost rattled Japan who survived many anxious moments before restraining India to just five goals.
Sardar Singh, Lalit Upadhyay and Sumit showed excellent class throughout sixty minutes.
For his two goals out of five tries in the penalty corners, Harmanpreet Singh was declared Hero Man of the Match, while Lalit Upadhyay who exhibited some oriental hockey skills, got the epithet Best Goal Scorer.
There was no inkling of what was store for India in the opener early on when Japan equalized Indian lead withing a minute.
3-time Asia Cupper SV Sunil struck beauty of a goal early in the first quarter (1-0, 3rd min) only to see within a minute Japanese equalize. Kenji Kitazato dived in front to connect a perfect cross coming from left flank.
The first quarter ended at that (1-1, 4th min). India held upper hand in the entire second quarter, but Akashdeep Singh, SV Sunil and Ramandeep Singh were profligate with their shots.
The manner SV Sunil scored the first goal, it seemed a goal rout is in the offing.
Lalit Upadhya gave India the lead Goal. All the ground work was done by Harmapreet Singh, whose aerial ball into D that Lalit Upadhyay trapped, dived to his right to effect a reverse (2-1, 22nd min) for India’s lead.
India got its lone penalty corner midway through the second quarter, but Harmanpreet Singh’s flick lacked venom, the speed and direction. A defender trapped to the left of goalline and deflected to safe.
On resumption from lemon time, India was quick on scoreboard.
Ramandeep’s goal was so stunning that a referral had to be resorted to find out whether the ball went into net through side netting or directly. Fortunately for India, it was direct.
Lalit again was in the thick of things when India got second of five penalty corner out of which Harmanpreet did not fail to strike (4-1, 35th min). He again sent, now a grounder, for the final scoreline (5-1, 48th min).
India got five penalty corners against Japan’s two which came in the closing stages of the one-sided game.
The first international outing for the new Indian coach Sjoerd Marijne turned out to be great one for him.