SAS 205: India register their first win

India recorded its first win in the Sultan Azlan Shah cup, after they beat Canada 5-3 in their fourth match of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup on Thursday.

In what was supposed to be an easy match, if not one-sided, however went on to be a tight one, especially in the third and fourth quarter when goals kept coming in for both the teams.

With this, India now have four points from four matches.

Canada, began a little slow but managed to get a penalty corner in the fifth minute. As many as three attempts by them, could however, yield no results for them. India got the early lead after Rupinder flicked the ball off India’s third penalty corner.

India managed to maintain that lead till the first half and added one more to it in the third quarter after V.R. Raghunath misled the goalkeeper easily to score off the fifth penalty corner.

Two minutes to go for the end of the third quarter, Canada pulled one down after Oliver Scholfield pulled one down as the Indian defense fell flat. India, meanwhile, wasted three more penalty corner in the quarter.

Ramandeep Singh gave some relief to his team, after he scored two quick goals through deflection in the 46th and 47th minute. The first one came off a long cross and the second was set up by Gurbaj Singh.

There on, Canada doubled up its attack, scoring a goal two minutes later in the 49th minute off a penalty corner. The goal was scored by Jagdish Gill, an Indian-born Canadian.
But, India managed to increase the lead again after Satbir Singh deflected a quick ball from the right flank, set up by Manpreet Singh.

The final goal of the match came in the 52nd minute after David Jameson steals a ball, standing right behind goalkeeper Harjot Singh, slightly pushed it for his team’s third goal.

India, in total, received eight penalty corners but converted just two.

India will next face defending champions Australia on April 11.