India beat Malaysia 6-1 hockey live score updates, Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2016
FULL-TIME and it’s victory to India. The Men in Blue win 6-1.
6 minutes of play remain and there’s a free hit for India. It’s taken by SK Uthappa, but he’s unable to build on it. India appear now to just be playing the ball around, and it’s all but done for the hosts.
50’ GOAL! India’s Talwinder Singh sneaks a shot away to take the visitors to an even wider lead. India now lead 6-1 with the final ten minutes of play remaining.
India’s Nikkin Thimmaiah attempts a circle penetration, and Malaysia are penalized for a stick check. Mandeep chips in with some good footwork and deflection, but the ball is well wide of the goal.
GOAL! This time it’s Malaysia who open the scoring, with the scores now at 5-1.
Final quarter and India lead 5-0; the lead now looks unassailable for the home team, who needed a 7-goal victory to make up for goal difference, if they were to play in the finals.
39’ GOAL! Ramandeep Singh scores India’s fifth goal to give the team a 5-0 lead, with Ramandeep taking his second of the tournament.
SV Sunil runs to the baseline and India are hovering around the D...and they score!
Malaysia penetrate the circle looking to score but India’s attack means the ball is taken right back. The Malaysian side have improved on possession since the first half, however, and look to have more scoring opportunities this time around.
Second half of play is now underway, and India are awarded a free hit at 2’.
India have been on the attack this game. Leading possession by a significant margin, they’ve already had nine circle penetrations. Today, they also capitalized on a penalty corner, and lead 4-0. It’s a must-win for either team, and Malaysia will need to win by a 7 goal margin if they are to play in the final, which appears to be a near-impossibility.
Half-time and India have taken a resounding 4-0 lead over the hosts. They’re looking in prime position to play Australia in the finals, with Nikin Thimmaiah opening the scoring.
27’ GOAL to India after Danish Mujtaba scores their 4th goal. After the ball is rammed into the goalpost, Mujtaba gets it on the rebound to score his first goal of the tournament.
25’ Penalty corner...and GOAL for India! Mujtaba deflects it and Ramandeep finishes off the scoring to give India a 3-0 lead.
That was close! With 7 minutes to go, SV Sunil penetrates the circle with what looked to be a strong scoring attempt! It doesn’t go the way of India, with Malaysia taking possession right back.
21’ Penalty corner! This time it’s awarded to Malaysia, who are good with capitalizing on PCs. They have a 38% conversion rate, and the hosts will look to use this opportunity to bounce back.
Second quarter now underway, and India are still pushing possession. Mandeep is locked in a battle to take the ball but no luck.
Hooter goes and that’s the end of the first quarter. India lead 2-0 in the first 15 minutes, with Nikin Thimmaiah scoring early and Harjeet taking his first senior goal to build on the lead.
India are unable to capitalize on the penalty corner; the scores remain at 2-0 to India with two minutes to go in the first quarter. Roelant Oltmans’ men have dominated possession with 63%, and have had 6 shots at goal.
Penalty corner awarded to India after Malaysia’s Rashid pushes Manjeet. He’s lucky to not be green carded.
7’ GOAL India score again to go 2-0. Goes from Harjet to Talwinder and back to Harjeet, who chips in with a reverse hit into the goal to widen India’s lead.
3’ GOAL! Sunil pushes it towards the D and Nikkin Thimmaiah scores! India lead 1-0.
Whistle goes and they’re off! Manpreet takes the ball wide and Surender pummels the ball into the D but it’s deflected! And again, Danish Mujtaba tries and fails.
The Sardar Singh-led Indian hockey side will play their final league game of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup today as they take on hosts Malaysia at the tournament. They come into today’s must-win game on the back of a loss to New Zealand, with the Black Sticks beating them 2-1.
Had they won the game against New Zealand, India would have had a direct entry to the finals to play table-toppers Australia, who have won every single match they have played at the tournament so far. However, since they lost to the Black Sticks, India will now have to fight Malaysia for contention.
India’s biggest victory at this year’s Sultan Azlan Shah Cup came in their league game against arch-rivals Pakistan, who were trumped 5-1 with a strong attack from India. The Men in Blue are missing a key cog in their machinery – star goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who has been the backbone of the Indian hockey defense. Akash Chikte takes on keeping duties in his absence.
Malaysia and India met in the league stages of last year’s Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, with hosts Malaysia emerging victorious. Later that year, however, India avenged this at the Hockey World League semi-finals in Belgium, winning 3-2.
With consistently decisive performances at the league stages of the tournament, Australia have cruised through to the final, with other teams only locked in a battle to face them.
India have not shown a consistency in capitalizing on penalty corners, which has let them down in the tournament, and was a significant part of their loss to New Zealand; that is an area they will want to focus on going into today’s match.
Playing XI:
India
Harjot Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh, Harmanpreet Singh Jasjit Singh Kular, Kothajit Singh, Surender Singh, Chinglensena Singh, Manpreet Singh, Sardar Singh (C), SK Uthappa, Mandeep Singh, SV Sunil, Ramandeep Singh, Nikkin Thimmaiah, Talwinder Singh, Akash Anil Chikte (GK), Danish Mujtaba and Harjeet Singh
Malaysia
Kairulnizam Ibrahim, Kumar Subramaniam, Ahmad Kazamirul Bin Nasruddin, Engku Abd Malik Engku Mohamad, Megat Azrafiq Megat Termizi, Mohd Madzil Ikmar Bin Mohd Nor, Muhammad Razie Abdul Rahim (C), Azlan Misron, Azreen Rizal Bin Nasir, Mohamad Sukri Abdul Mutalib, Muhamad Ramadan Rosli, Muhammad Marhan Mohd Jail, Nabil Fiqri Mohd Noor, Amirullah bin Zainol, Faizal Saari, Ismail Bin Abu, Izwan Firdaus Ahmad Tajuddin and Muhamad Azammi Adabi.