New Delh: India’s finishing woes came back to haunt them as they squandered a flurry of chances and settled for a 2-2 draw against defending champions Korea in their opening Super 4 match of the Men’s Asia Cup Hockey Tournament on Wednesday. Despite dominating possession and creating multiple opportunities, the Indian forwards failed to find the killer touch, allowing Korea to escape with a point.
After a 50-minute rain delay, India made a strong start and deservedly took the lead in the 8th minute through Hardik Singh, who dazzled with a solo run from midfield before slotting past the goalkeeper. However, defensive lapses proved costly as a push by Jugraj Singh gifted Korea a penalty stroke, which Jihun Yang converted in the 12th minute. Just two minutes later, Hyeonhong Kim struck from a penalty corner to put Korea 2-1 ahead. India kept pressing but were denied repeatedly by the Korean defence and goalkeeper Jaehan Kim, going into the halftime break trailing.
The second half saw India pile relentless pressure but miss chance after chance. In the 41st minute, Sukhjeet Singh squandered a golden opportunity by shooting wide, while Abhishek came close twice but failed to convert. Even Harmanpreet Singh’s drag-flick from a penalty corner late in the third quarter was thwarted by resolute Korean defending. India’s persistence finally paid off in the 53rd minute when Mandeep Singh equalised from close range after being set up by Sukhjeet. However, further missed penalty corners and wasted chances in the dying minutes meant India had to settle for a 2-2 draw despite being the dominant side.
In other Super 4 action, Malaysia defeated China 2-0 with goals from Syed Cholan and Akhimullah Anuar, though the match also saw tempers flare and yellow cards issued following an on-field clash. Earlier in the day, Japan blanked Chinese Taipei 2-0 thanks to a brace from Ryosuke Shinohara, securing a place in the 5th-6th classification match.
India will next face Malaysia in a must-win encounter, while Korea will play China in Thursday’s fixtures.
