Hyderabad: Nothing went according to the script for India in their opening match of the Junior Asia Cup Hockey Championship against Japan here on Friday. They had expected to score a runaway win but the team from East Asia made them struggle to a 2-0 win in Group A at the Gachibowli Stadium.

In contrast, contenders for the top honours and India’s main rivals in the tournament, South Korea and Pakistan opened their campaign with impressive wins in Group B.

Nam Hyun Woo scored a hattrick as Korea thumped Bangladesh 8-0, while Pakistan’s Abdul Haseem Khan slotted four goals to help his team drub Oman 5-1.

Dragflicker Diwakar Ram saved the day for India converting two penalty corners in the 6th and 41st minutes. The hosts had expected to swamp Japan, but in fact struggled to stay afloat throughout the match.

Call it opening blues or India’s inability to fight the nerves, they got everything wrong except the result. Though the defence was solid and forwards SV Sunil and Roshan Minz made some forays into the rival defence, the midfield let India down.

Fortunately for them, they gained the psychological edge quite early with Diwakar Ram’s sixth minute penalty conversion. Eight minutes later Mandeep Antil missed a chance, failing to connect a pass from Sunil.

Thereafter, India failed to find their feet as Japanese gained momentum. In the 30th minute Kenta Tanaka had an open goal gaping at him, but he hit the ball past the goalpost. Then Indian custodian Sreejesh Parattu Raveendran denied the Japanese by producing two brilliant saves in the 33rd and 34th minutes. Six minutes into the second half, Sunil earned a penalty corner for India, which was duly converted by Diwakar Ram. Thereafter, the hosts had nothing to crow about.

In another Group A match, Malaysia staged a brilliant comeback to hold Singapore 2-2.