Abhishek Nain marked his 150th India cap with two goals, Harmanpreet Singh converted a penalty stroke and Vishnukant Singh added a deflected finish as India beat Japan 4-1 in Jalandhar, extending their unbeaten start at the Asian Champions Trophy to three wins.
Jalandhar, India: For two full quarters on Friday night, India and Japan could not be separated, and the hosts needed a late surge to keep their perfect record. The match was level at 1-1 from the end of the first quarter until Harmanpreet Singh broke the deadlock early in the fourth.
A milestone before the first whistle
The night belonged to Abhishek from the start. The 27-year-old forward, who had sat out the previous match against China under the team’s rotation policy, was honoured before the game for completing 150 senior international appearances. Hockey India vice-president and secretary general Bhola Nath Singh presented him with a commemorative jersey, and Jalandhar Police Commissioner Satinder Singh gave him a special hockey stick.
Abhishek strikes, Japan answer from the spot
Abhishek marked the occasion in the 11th minute. Sukhjeet Singh found him with a pass and the forward finished from open play. Japan equalised before the quarter ended. A drag-flick from captain Raiki Fujishima struck Sanjay on the line, the umpires awarded a penalty stroke, and India’s review did not overturn the decision. Shota Yamada converted it in the 15th minute.
A stalemate in the middle
The second and third quarters produced no goals. Japan earned several penalty corners without finding a way through, while India struggled to win corners of their own and lacked rhythm in the build-up.
Harmanpreet breaks the deadlock
The decisive spell came after the third quarter. Angad Bir Singh won a penalty stroke, and captain Harmanpreet Singh converted it in the 47th minute to put India ahead. Four minutes later Abhishek completed his brace on his landmark night with a close-range finish in the 51st. Vishnukant Singh made it 4-1 in the 56th minute, with a deflected goal from an aerial pass.
Malaysia next
The win was India’s third in as many matches, following a 13-0 rout of Bangladesh and a 5-2 win over China. Malaysia are the only other unbeaten side, having beaten Bangladesh 6-1 earlier on Friday, and India meet them on Sunday, 1 November. The league phase runs until 2 November, with the semi-finals on 4 November in Mohali and the medal matches on 5 November.
Result: India 4 (Abhishek Nain 11’, 51’ on his 150th cap; Harmanpreet Singh 47’ penalty stroke; Vishnukant Singh 56’) beat Japan 1 (Shota Yamada 15’ penalty stroke).
