5' - Karthi Selvam goes close
India go so close to scoring! Hardik rampages in from the right flank into the centre. Karthi is in the middle waiting for a deflection, but he misses contact by inches.
2' - Jarmanpreet wins a PC
Jarmanpreet with a brilliant move in the 2nd minute. Makes a great collection of an aerial ball in the circle. Wins a PC. The resultant shot by Harmanpreet is blocked out by the Japan keeper.
Japan counter-attack! Just wide. A green card is flashed, India will be down to 10 men for the next few minutes. What an intense start to the match!
India vs Japan: Teams
Anthems are done. Here we go! It's revenge time for India, who were knockout out by Japan from the HACT 2021 two years ago.
Ready for match
India have a 27-3 head-to-head record against Japan. But the team from the land of the rising sun are always a tricky test. Especially in crunch situations.
"The game is set up for us to continue after our win against Pakistan," says India coach Craig Fulton.
PR Sreejesh plays his 300th game
Sreejesh is the 9th Indian to feature in 300 matches.
Dilip Tirkey (412), Dhanraj Pillay (339), Baljit Singh Dhillon (327), Sardar Singh (314), Pargat Singh (313), Mukesh Kumar (307), Baljit Singh Saini (304), Manpreet Singh (320+ and still playing) are the other Indians to have reached this mark.
India vs Japan: Highlights from group game
India have failed to win just one game in the HACT 2023 so far. It was Japan who held out against them earlier in the tournament. Here's how that 1-1 draw played out last week.
30 minutes to India vs Japan
Now that Malaysia have won, the main event of the night now is coming up - hosts India are getting ready to come on. Here's how the atmosphere in Chennai looks:
Malaysia team lives up to coach's promise
It's tough to take your eyes off this Malaysian unit.
Here's what the Malaysian coach had told us earlier in the tournament.
READ | Malaysian coach with Tamil Nadu roots, Arul backs his team to surprise everyone
Malaysia awaits in the final
It's the Speedy Tigers who will await in the final. They currently lead Korea by 2 goals in the last quarter of the first semifinal.
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