Moqi (China), Sep 11
Rajkumar Pal's sensational hat-trick helped the Indian men's hockey team beat Malaysia comprehensively by an 8-1 margin in their third match of the Hero Asian Champions Trophy on Wednesday.
Besides Rajkumar Pal (3', 25', 33'), Araijeet Singh Hundal (6', 39') Jugraj Singh (7'), Captain Harmanpreet Singh (22') and Uttam Singh (40') also contributed to India's third consecutive win of the tournament.
With this win, they have consolidated their lead at the top of the points table, with nine points in three matches. Meanwhile, for Malaysia, Akhimullah Anuar (34') scored the lone goal.
Riding high on momentum after back-to-back wins, India started the game aggressively. They put Malaysia on the back foot in no time as they scored as many as three goals in the opening seven minutes of the match.
The first goal came from Rajkumar Pal (3'), who showcased remarkable stickwork. The second was scored by Araijeet Singh Hundal (6'), who found the top corner from the far post, shooting past the left shoulder of the Malaysian goalie, while the third goal came through Jugraj Singh's powerful drag-flick during a penalty corner routine in the next minute of the opening quarter.
India continued to make attacking forays into the Malaysian half. They earned a series of penalty corners, with the last one being converted by captain Harmanpreet Singh, making it 4-0 by the 22nd minute.