Jakarta, May 24: A new-look Indian team paid for its inexperience and profligacy with Asian champions Japan soundly thrashing them 5-2 in a group A league match of the men’s Asia Cup hockey championship here on Tuesday.
Having drawn against Pakistan in the opening game, India’s chances after this defeat will be badly dented as even a big win against Indonesia in the last game might not be enough for qualification to the knock-out stages.
Ken Nagayoshi, Kosei Kawabe (twice), Ryomi Ooka and Koji Yamasaki scored for Japan while Pawan Rajbhar and Uttam Singh found the target for the Indians.
However, the younger crop of players didn’t measure up against the Japanese, who looked more organised and hit India repeatedly on the counters.
The two seniors – Birendra Lakra and SV Sunil – looked well past their prime and couldn’t make any tangible difference with their performances.
“First two quarters were very tough because we didn’t get into any rhythm. We got better in the last two quarters but didn’t create many chances,” said Lakra, the India captain.
India could have gone ahead in the fifth minute of the first half itself when 20-year-old Karthi Selvam kept an inch perfect cross from wide left for veteran SV Sunil, who was inches short of laying his stick for a tap-in.
The first quarter was all about trying to get control of the midfield with rookie Indian players losing a lot of possession during the phase of play.
But, to their delight, the Japanese also failed to make too many inroads save one penalty corner, which was well-saved by a diving Indian custodian Suraj Karkera.
India suddenly fizzled out in the second quarter after that initial spark, even as the Japanese upped their ante. (PTI)
