New Zealand thumps India

Indian women overcome a fighting Malaysia 3-1

There were goals aplenty in the international debut of nine-a-side field hockey here as New Zealand thrashed India 6-3 in a men’s match on Thursday.

The first night of the innovative four-day International Super Series, which includes a number of other trial rules such as 15-minute halves and wider goals to increase spectator appeal, produced entertaining and attacking hockey. There was only one scoreless game in the four matches, with 21 goals scored in just 120 minutes of hockey.

However, the new format didn’t agree with the Indian men, who paid the price for a sluggish start when they conceded the opening three goals to New Zealand in quick succession en route to a heavy defeat. Although Danish Mujtaba pulled one back in the 12th minute, the 2010 Commonwealth Games silver medallists were down 4-1 at the break after New Zealand’s Joel Baker scored from a long corner just seconds before half-time.

Sardara Singh produced a fine reverse stick shot on the run to make it 4-2 in the 17th minute, and the margin was down to one goal when Ravi Pal scored in the 24th minute. However, Stephen Jenness’s second goal 60 seconds later made it 5-3 and he completed a hat-trick as the final siren sounded.

The first international sides to taste the new format of the game were the Indian and Malaysian women, and it was the Indians that were too good, winning 3-1 on the back of goals by Ritu Rani, P. Sushila Chanu and Vandana Katariya.

Australia scores

In another men’s match, Australia defeated Pakistan 3-2. All five goals were scored in a nine-minute burst in the first-half, Jamie Dwyer’s superb goal from just inside the circle in the 15th minute ultimately proving the winner. The Pakistanis clearly felt they were on the wrong end of the umpiring as they searched for an equaliser in the second-half, making several vocal complaints to the officials.

The finals of the tournament will be played on Sunday.

Indian girls put up a brilliant performance to defeat a fighting Malaysia 3-1 to register the first win of the international played in the new Hockey 9s format.

Brilliant show

Meanwhile, Indian women put up a brilliant performance to overcome a fighting Malaysia 3-1 to register the first win of the international played in the new Hockey 9s format.

Ritu Rani guided the ball into the net off India’s first long corner in the 10th minute to score the first goal of the tournament. However, Malaysian captain Abdul Rahman Nadia capitalised on a loose Indian defence to equalise.

India then came up with a brief spell of attack that yielded two more goals through Sushila Chauhan in the 20th minute and Vandana Katariya three minutes from the hooter.

The game did not see a penalty corner or stroke for which new rules have been devised and the pace also did not match the projected one. If the idea behind Hockey 9s was to have more goals, it was not witnessed in the first match at least.

As it was a friendly international, the umpires were from both playing countries, another new thing in hockey where normally neutral umpires officiate.

The match was played on two 15-minute halves with a goal caged a meter wider than the traditional one.

Earlier in the day, the tournament was inaugurated by the Australian Defence Minister, Kevin Smith.