Perth: A lacklustre India conceded three early goals as they were outplayed by New Zealand 3-6 in their opening match of Lanco International Super Series Hockey 9s tournament here on Thursday.
India failed to shed off old habits of slow passing and slower goal-building moves much against the fast-paced game of their rivals and they conceded goals in regular intervals to frustrate the fairly large crowd who came to support them at the Perth Hockey Stadium on the opening day of the tournament.
The new format was put in place to play the game in a faster pace and increase the number of goals in each match but it seemed that India had a lot to do if they have to make an impact.
New Zealand were 3-0 up in no time after Stephen Jennes opened scoring in the sixth minute outsmarting otherwise alert defender Majit Kullu. Within a minute, Blair Hilton converted a half chance into a goal before Benjamin scored the best goal of the contest to put the Kiwis with three-goal cushion.
It was a reflexive backhander from the right top of the circle that took Indian captain and goalkeeper Bharat Chetri unawares. Even after taking 3-0 lead, New Zealand kept attacking and India had to thwart many surges.
Danish Mujtaba gave finishing touches to the medio Sardar Singh’s superb work in the 12th minute to score India’s first goal but they still needed to clear a two-goal deficit.
Sardar Singh, who was in fine touch, scored India’s second goal from the first penalty corner they got two minutes after the first break to give a semblance of a fight.
Substitute Ravi Pal then punched a hard one from the top of circle in the 24th minute to give India a chance to come back into the match at 3-4 scoreline.
India eves overcome Malaysia 3-1
Indian girls put up a brilliant performance to overcome a fighting Malaysia 3-1 to register the first win of the international played in the new Hockey 9s format here at the Perth Hockey Stadium.
Ritu Rani, guided the ball into the net off India’s first long corner in the 10th minute to score the first international goal of the Lanco International Super Series.
However, the goal did not last long as Malaysian captain Abdul Rahman Nadia capitalised on a loose Indian defence to soon score the equalised.
India then came out with a brief spell of attack that yielded two more goals. First one was hit by Sushila Chauhan in the 20th minute and second by Vandana Katariya three minutes from the hooter.
The game did not see penalty corner or stroke for which new rules have been devised, and the pace also did not match the projected one. If the idea behind Hockey 9s was to have more goals, it was not witnessed in the first match, at least.
The match was played on two 15-minute halves, with a goal caged a meter wider than the traditional one. (PTI)