India beat Pakistan 3-2 to reclaim Asian Champions Trophy
2 Nov 2016 4:03 AM IST
Favourites India prevailed 3-2 over arch-rivals Pakistan to reclaim the Asian Champions Trophy hockey in a thrilling summit showdown here.
Goals from Rupinder Pal Singh (18th minute), Yousuf Affan (23rd) and Nikkin Thimmaiah (51st) helped India surmount the challenge from Pakistan, who rallied from two goals behind through strikes by Muhammad Aleem Bilal (26th) and Ali Shaan (38th) in the title clash of the fourth edition of tournament.
The title win presented a perfect Diwali gift to the nation as the countrymen were celebrating the ‘Festival of Light’.
This was the first time the teams were meeting in the final of a continental tournament since India dethroned Pakistan as the Asian Games champions in Incheon, South Korea in 2014.
India had won the inaugural edition of the Asian Champions Trophy by defeating Pakistan in the final in 2011.
Pakistan reversed the result in the title contest the next year and went on to retain it in 2013 by defeating Japan in the final.
World No. 6 India were the favourites going into the tournament, but were without several seasoned players who had been rested to recuperate from injuries.
India went into the title contest at the Kuantan Hockey Stadium without ace custodian P R Sreejesh, who was rested due to pulled hamstring and Akash Chikte took the position under the bar.
India earned their first penalty corner in the seventh minute, but failed to make it count. Ace flicker Rupinder was on the spot, but Jasjit Singh Kular was allowed to take the shot in a tactical move. Jasjit’s shot went wide of the left and posed no threat.
Pakistan had a chance to take the lead in the 12th minute when Muhammad Rizwan Jr picked up a long ball inside the Indian circle and had only the goalkeeper to beat from close range. Goalkeeper Chikte stepped up to tackle him from close and Rizwan Jr shot wide to muff the opportunity.
A cross from the right sailed across the Pakistan goal in the 11th minute without the Indian strikers being able to connect, while at the other end Muhammad Arslan Qadir’s shy from a narrow angle was padded away by the Indian goalkeeper as the first quarter came to an end.
India broke the deadlock to score the first goal in the 18th minute on their second penalty corner as Rupinder sent a rasping drag-flick into the left side of the net. This was the 11 penalty corner conversion in the tournament by Rupinder, the highest goal-scorer in the tournament by a big margin.
Three minutes later, Nikkin Thimmaiah releyed a ball from Sardar Singh to Talwinder Singh on the left. Talwinder could not control his reverse drive and the ball went soaring over the cross-bar.
Seasoned Indian midfielder Sardar Singh was again in the picture as India increased the lead in the 23rd minute as he worked up on the right flank and put Ramandeep Singh in possession on top of the circle.
Ramandeep’s cross was deflected in by Yousuf Affan into the boards to put India 2-0 up.
Under pressure, Pakistan responded by forcing their first penalty corner, which was converted by Muhammad Aleem Bilal in the 26th minute. Bilal sounded the boards with a low drag-flick that beat the goalkeeper.
Pakistan defence had no trouble in warding away India’s attempts to send long diagonal balls into the circle and capitalised on a lapse by the Indian defence to draw 2-2 parity in the 38th minute. Ali Shan wasted no time in slapping the ball that had got deflected to him inside the scoring zone.
India had a goal disallowed on review in the 40th minute when the video umpire ruled that Kothajit Singh’s shot from outside the circle went into the goal without a touch.
In the final two minutes of play, all Indian players fell back into their territory to keep the last-gasp Pakistan attacks at bay.
We have to win bigger global events: Oltmans
Chief hockey coach Roelant Oltmans has heaped praise on his boys and set his sights on bigger global titles after India reclaimed the Asian Champions Trophy by defeating arch-rivals Pakistan in an exciting final here.
India notched up a 3-2 victory in the title encounter against Pakistan, who were defending the title they had won twice in succession. The title win presented a perfect Diwali gift to the nation as the countrymen were celebrating the ‘Festival of Light’.
Oltmans said he had seen 20 India-Pakistan matches as a coach and knew the excitement of the sub-continental encounters.
“For the Indian players, there was no option other than winning the title here. We went in as the favorites and were the target of other teams, who faced no such pressure,” said Oltmans.
“I’m really proud that the team showed its mental strength in the last quarter to clinch victory after we conceded two goals and allowed the opposition to come back into the contest.
“For India’s hockey fans this is a major title win, but we have to go on and win bigger global events,” Oltmans added.India’s most-experienced player Sardar Singh, who was adjudged most outstanding player of the final for marshalling the midfield and playing a pivotal role in two Indian field goals, said the team played in this manner after a long time.
“This trophy is the hockey team’s Diwali gift to the nation,” said Sardar, the former Indian captain and one of the players designated as team leaders.
“We reclaimed the Asian Champions Trophy by repeating our victory over Pakistan in the Asian Games final two years ago,” said Sardar, adding that the pressure was on the Indians as they were now the continent’s champions and were tipped to claim the title.
India played the final without its team skipper PR Sreejesh, who was ruled out due to a hamstring injury suffered during the semifinal against South Korea, which India won through the penalty shootout.
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