Perth, Australia, 29 September 2016: India’s Junior Men team took on the Malaysian Blues in the Australian Hockey League today, beating them 4-2 in a high quality encounter.
It was the Malaysian Blues who were quicker off the blocks from the hooter, pressuring India into defensive positions. They won their first PC of the game in the fourth minute and were quick to score off it, Faizal Saari with the conversion to give them the lead.
India gathered momentum quickly enough after that though and had a shot on goal saved. A subsequent PC was also saved by Mohd Hafizuddin Othman in goal for the Malaysian team. Off the counter, Malaysian hit back with a quick counter, winning a PC. India defended the attempt strongly though to deny them another breakthrough. Despite several more turnovers, and another PC for India, it was Malaysia who went into the first break with a one-goal advantage.
India started off stronger in the second quarter, and were suddenly the ones dictating the tempo of the play. After a long spell of possession, a PC opportunity presented itself. Varun Kumar’s drag flick was saved on the line, but from the rebound Armaan Qureshi was the quickest to react, driving it into goal to draw India level.
The equaliser shifted the momentum completely, a greater urgency creeping into India’s game. Suddenly they were pressing high, and passing and moving faster, the Malaysian Blues rattled by the shift. The relentless pressure paid off within minutes as India created another PC. This time there was no denying Varun, whose high flick into the top corner beat the man at the post to give India the lead. The scores stayed the same for the rest of the quarter, India taking a 2-1 lead into halftime.
The break was supposed to be a breather for the Malaysian Blues to recuperate and recover. India banished any such notions immediately though, Gurjant Singh’s deflection extending the lead. India kept up the pressure through the quarter, with over committing themselves. With the Malaysians now the ones looking for a goal, India looked to attack on the counter and finish the game of. In the 42nd minute, they got the chance, Armaan the initiator and the finisher capped off a brilliant sweeping move, for his second and India’s fourth of the game. India went into the final break leading 4-1.
Malaysia scored through another PC conversion by Saari in the fourth quarter and were on the front foot for the final minutes of play. But the comeback was not to be as India held on strong to take the victory and their first points in the competition.
India play South Australia in their next Pool B encounter on30 September 2016 at 15.30hrs IST.
