Air India & ONGC to lock horns in pool decider
The 21st Lal Bahadur Shastri Hockey Tournament continued its high-scoring streak on Wednesday as the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) saw off Pool B rivals Punjab National Bank (PNB) 4-1 at the Dhyan Chand Stadium. Ending the first half with a 1-0 lead after Jagwant scored a field goal in the 24th minute, ONGC ran riot in the second half, adding another three field goals to PNB’s lone strike by Jalwinder.
In a Pool A match, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) hammered South Central Railways 4-0, netting three goals in the first half through Karamjeet Singh, Ravipal Singh and Sher Singh.
BPCL took the foot off the gas after the break, scoring the final goal and closing the match with 20 minutes left on the clock.
The Pool B decider between Air India and ONGC will be played on the morrow. ONGC could go through even with a four goal loss, thanks to a favourable goal difference over PNB, tied at four points.
In Pool A, Army XI and Indian Oil Corporation are also tied on four points, and a draw on Thursday will see the two and BPCL tied at five points. The advantage will then lie with BPCL and Army XI on goal difference.