s2h Team
Reigning Asian Games champions China punished every Indian lapse to score a 4-1 win against India in the crucial Super 4s match today to enter the home Asia Cup final. After conceding two easy goals — from four minutes into the game and four minutes from the Half time — due to feeble, if not nervous, clearances inside the circle, India played a superb third quarter but as the match wore on failed to keep pace with the aggressive Chinese. The Mumtaz Khan’s 38th minute goal — a reverse hit from top of the circle — when India was trailing 0-2 raised the Indian hopes but the Chines girls thereafter raised a solid defence plank which was asking too much for the Indians to breach.
First, the match was even till Meirong Zhou, who was later declared the Best Player of the match, sensibly tapped a slow ball in front of the goalmouth much to the delight the fairly goody crowd. She also struck once more in the last quarter, standing hawkishly in front of the goalmouth and turning in a cross into the cage.
Indians were undaunted when they trailed 0-2, made many turn overs but were clearly unlucky not to move the scoreboard. In fact, in the entire match they sent the ball thrice all the times to be overruled by the umpire! Once of course, the ball found home a millionth second late!!
Another occasion was when Neha’s shot off the third penalty corner was disallowed for rising. On any other day, any other umpires would have thought otherwise.
Mumtaz Khan’s reverse shot from the top of the circle, that crashed into the right of the goalie was a beauty. Watch.Hockey commentator terms it ‘classy’.