Hockey World Cup: India trounce arch-rivals Pakistan

Zeenews Bureau New Delhi: Ace drag-flicker Sandeep Singh rose tremendously to the demands of a high pressure game as India passed the first test in the FIH Hockey World Cup with flying colours, trouncing arch-rivals Pakistan 4-1 to make a strong start to their campaign. After Prabhjot Singh added the third goal to India’s tally immediately after the break, Sandeep Singh blasted in the fourth goal, from penalty corner as well as India looked to build an unassailable lead over their arch-rivals. Luck meanwhile, deserted listless Pakistan in the second-half as well as yet another strike from Sohail Abbas was denied by the cross bar. Though Pakistan did get a consolation goal in the 59th minute, the 4-1 margin pretty much summed up India’s start-to-finish dominance.Thanks to the 3 points now in kitty, India now go on top of Pool B. With this victory India had avenged their 3-6 Champions Challenge defeat at the hands of the sub-continental rivals in Salta, Argentina last December. The victory not only gave India a 3-2 head-to-head record against Pakistan in the quadrennial event but also one lakh purse each to the players and support staff of the team. The match was also of huge significance for India and Pakistan on diplomatic front as both the countries are meeting in the sporting arena in India for the first time after 26/11 Mumbai carnage. Both India and Pakistan earned five penalty corners each, out of which the home team converted two while their opponent found the net once. India put on an extremely disciplined performance on the pitch, and while were rock solid in their possession of the ball, were snappy in their passing. If not for Salman Akbar, Pakistan would have been down by a bigger margin in the half time. The Pakistani goalkeeper came to his side`s rescue on more than one occasion. First Akbar denied Tushar Khandekar a chance to register his name in the scoreboard by stopping the Indian forwards` powerful strike as early as in the seventh minute of the match and then gloved away Diwakar Ram`s flick from the hosts` first penalty corner in the 16th minute. India`s constant pressure eventually resulted in the first goal of the match through hardworking Shivendra, who scored from a rebound after Sandeep`s grounded flick was saved by Akbar off the hosts` second penalty corner in the 25th minute. If that was not enough for Pakistan, India doubled their lead just five second from the interval from a set-piece. India earned their third penalty corner after the home team appealed for a foot foul and the video umpire upheld their appeal. Sandeep made no mistake this time and sounded the board to the much delight of the capacity crowd to go into the breather with a 2-0 lead. Playing before their home crowd, the motivated Indians started from where they left in the first half and made it 3-0 two minutes into the second half when veteran forward Prabhjot Singh scored from a goal mouth melee. Pakistan also has to consider themselves unlucky as the wood work denied them on two scoring chances, on both occasions Abbas was the misfortune player. Sandeep registered his second goal of the day, again converting a short corner with aplomb in the 57th minute. Pakistan pulled up a consolation two minutes later when Abbas became third time lucky, converting his side`s fourth penalty corner. There were some more drama in the dying moments of the match as both India and Pakistan earned a penalty corner each but failed to find the net.