India got off to a winning start in the four-nation IHF Men's Asian Continental Challenge handball tournament, beating Kazakhstan 39-36 in the opener at the Nehru Indoor Stadium.
This meeting wasn't supposed to happen on Friday, but went ahead thanks to a rejigged schedule brought about by the late arrival of the Uzbekistan team.
On Sunday, originally a rest day, Pakistan will meet Uzbekistan.
Equal opponents
The Kazakhs were equal opponents in the first half, which ended 18-17 in the visitor's favour.
But India pulled away thereafter, a more cohesive unit with Yogesh donning the playmaker's mantle.
Yogesh's distribution was crisper and more penetrative than that of Manish Kumar, who had played this role in the first half.
Moved to left back, Manish enjoyed greater returns, bringing his height and power to play.
India's attacks were concentrated down the right flank, as evidenced by its two top scorers, right wing Neeraj Singh and right back Shamsher Singh, both left-handers.
Critical role
Sushant Mishra, India's pivot, played a critical role in creating space for Neeraj, drawing defenders towards him with his control in tight central spaces, and then quickly passing the ball to the right.
Neeraj easily outwitted his marker in the ensuing one-on-ones, and finished clinically from tight angles.
Shamsher, the most distinctive figure on the court with his yellow boots, was a constant threat with his powerful leap that defied his diminutive stature and an explosive acceleration over short distances, which enabled him to burst into gaps in the Kazakhistan defence.
Kazakh counter
At one stage, India was up 37-31.
Having gained that six-point cushion, India grew lax. Goalkeeper Amit Kumar, who put in an otherwise blemish-free performance, came out of his area and missed an interception; Yogesh, seeking to slow the game down, misplaced a routine sideways pass to spark off a Kazakh counter.
The result:
India 39 (Neeraj Singh 13, Shamsher Singh 10) bt Kazakhstan 36 (Artyom Melnicheko 8, Dilmurad Yuldashev 8).
