New Delhi: It's once again been a case of so near yet so far for the Indian hockey team. They dominated the Azlan Shah semi-final against Malaysia at Ipoh but poor finishing saw them end up on the losing side. The hosts are through to the finals against Australia on Sunday.
As the Indian team took the field, the thought of being demoted to the general category by the Sports Ministry back home was very much on their minds. And it was the perfect occasion to prove the detractors wrong; a full house and a place in the finals to play for.
But it was the Malaysians who struck first. Poor defending from the Indians saw Tajuddin move ahead of his marker and get a smart defelction in.
India struck back immediately. India's World Cup top scorer Shivender Singh kept his cool after a pass from the right and equalised.
India had chances galore to extend that lead, but the finishing left a lot to be desired.
The Malaysians started the second half with a bang; again poor defending seeing Kelvinder Singh alone in front of the goal and he had the easiest of tap ins.
The stung Indian team went all out for the equaliser. They dominated proceedings and created chances after chances. But the finishing was not what one expects from a top flight international team.
Those chances proved costly as the hosts hung on for a 2-1 win. India now face up old nemesis Korea to retain the bronze medal they won last year.
Comments
0 comment