India rode on Harmanpreet Singh’s brace to overcome Malaysia 2-1 in a Pool B match, and ensure a semifinal spot in men’s hockey, at the Gold Coast hockey centre on Tuesday.
Though India has an enviable head-to-head record against Malaysia, it struggled on this day and was lucky to get it past the latter which too had its own problems and suffered.
While his teammates were all over the park, S.V. Sunil was a shining example of hard work as he pursued the side’s cause in a diligent manner. Had the others joined the party, it could have been a different story.
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India opened up with purpose in the initial stages and got a lead within the first three minutes. Harmandeep was quick to flick low off a penalty corner, leaving the Malaysian custodian Hairi Rahman helpless, as the ball went through his right.
Tragically, it was a mistake by Sunil, missing out a high ball, that gave Malaysia the opportunity to score through Faizal Saari, who darted in unchecked, drew out Rupinder Pal Singh and then sold a dummy to P.R. Sreejesh before slotting in the equaliser in the 16th minute.
The game pattern remained the same until the start of the third quarter before the Indians showed some urgency. A sequence of penalty corners was forced after Sunil had put Mandeep through and was impeded inside the circle.
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Utilising the opportunity, Harmandeep helped India back into the lead, with a rousing shot that took the top corner of the Malaysian net.
India will play England in its last league match on Wednesday to decide the group topper.
Later in the day, the women’s team also made the last four, beating South Africa 1-0 in its last Pool A match, the winner coming through captain Rani Ramphal in the 47th minute. It was a close match and though both the sides had their chances, none was converted either because of poor finishing or saves effected by the goalkeepers.
The win helped India to finish its engagements with nine points on par with England, which, however, took the top spot with a better goal difference.
It could either be New Zealand or Australia in the semifinals as the Pool B matches would be completed only on Wednesday.