Hockey: India stun Malaysia in a close match to lift 4th title in Asian Champions Trophy

The title win will augur well for India's preparations for the Asian Games at Zhengzhou in China, which will further boost the confidence of the home team to focus on the Asian games.

In a close contest, a much improved Malaysia after losing in the league phase, dictated terms right from the hit off, having worked the homework well.

But it was India, despite being at the receiving end, went into the lead much against the run of play before Malaysia came back with two goals in three minutes to make it 2-1 and stretched it to 3-1.

However, a determined India, firing on all angles, scored two goals in the third quarter to level it 3-3, before finding the matchwinner within minutes from the hooter in the 4th and final quarter with Sukhjeet finding the mark and the skipper doing the spadework.

Thanks to Sukhjeet's target that fetched India the winning goal after being at the receiving end for the most part of the first two quarters, the fans went crazy in the stands as the final hooter went off.

"What a night, what a win for Team India! They came back from being two goals down to win this 4-3! Celebrations in the Indian camp after a madcap final 16 minutes of the game where it scored three goals, including two in the space of 30-odd seconds", fans said, after enjoying every moment of this contest, that went down the wire.

It was a match in which the Malaysians, having worked out their strategy well, packed their defence and never gave a leeway for the Indians to cut through.

The visitors had the better of exchanges and dominated the proceedings with quick interceptions and short passes to keep the Indian forwards at bay.

The errors by the Indian defenders in interceptions also added to the problem.

But it was the Indian side, much against the run of play, forged into the lead when Jugraj Singh despite skipper Harmanpreet Singh's absence, found the target with a penalty corner, with a superb drag flick to the right of the Malaysian custodian.

After this seventh-minute goal in the first quarter, the visitors did not relent, packed more punch in the attack, and made inroads, but could not find the target.

After resumption in the second quarter, Malaysia went all out in the attack pumping in two goals in quick succession to take a 3-1 lead.

The equaliser came from good work done by Azuan Hasan, who won the possession back outside the circle pierced through the baseline, and relayed it to Azrai in the goalmouth who found the target to make it 1-1.

However, two minutes later, India were in for a shock as Malaysia found the lead (2-1) after which the home team forced two penalty corners but could not make it fruitful.

Malaysian defender Shello managed to force a short corner and Razie Rahim from the second battery fired his drag flick, with the ball deflecting into the goal post of an Indian defender's stick and going into the roof of the net, stunning the packed crowd at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium, as  Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin watched the pulsating contest after launching the contest jointly.

After a stick check inside the striking area, India got a penalty corner butJugraj's drag flick went wide.

The lead swelled for Malaysia in the next two minutes (3-1) in a counterattack. Azrai glided across the turf with the ball, dribbled past three Indian players, but was checked by Amit inside the circle.

Malaysia called for a review and the TV umpire said its a body check and awarded a short corner to Malaysia. PC from Shello is blocked before Rahim found the target.

However, egged on by the crowd, the Indians came back strongly in the next two quarters, before hammering the final nail in the closing stages of the last quarter to ensure the fourth title win.

(With UNI inputs)