Hockey
India thump seven past China in grand homecoming of hockey to Chennai
Varun scored two goals from penalty corner as India thrashed China 7-2 in Asian Champions Trophy opener.
Chennai: Hockey made a roaring comeback to Chennai as India toyed with China, pouring in seven goals in their campaign opener of the Asian Champions Trophy in front of a lively crowd at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium in Chennai on Thursday.
The fans started flocking to the stadium as the evening loomed, with India taking on China late in the day's third game.
Earlier, South Korea overcame a resilient Japan in the lead-in, while Malaysia defeated a spirited Pakistan 2-1 in the second game.
All the buildup came to life when the Indian team led by Harmanpreet Singh made their way onto the pitch, with the crowd going bonkers.
Indian team made the moment vigorous, scoring in the fourth minute of the first quarter.
Captain and drag-flicker specialist Harmanpreet Singh converted the first penalty corner of the match.
The loudest cheer, however, was received by the local boy Karthi Selvam, who came as a substitute in the fifth minute.
The noise went up several decibels as Harmanpreet scored another from a penalty corner in the seventh minute to increase India's lead.
It was raining penalty corners for India, as the host earned five penalty corners in the first fifteen minutes. Sukhjeet scored a cheeky goal after the rebound fell to him, and he nutmegged himself to give India a 3-0 lead.
With the fate of the game nearly sealed in the first quarter, India piled further misery on China, who opted to defend for most of the match against India's relentless attack. Despite that, Akashdeep Singh notched up a brilliant field goal in the 16th minute.
China, however, managed to get on the scoresheet from a goal by E Wen Hui, who dribbled past the Indian defence in a rare show of offence to put one past goalkeeper Krishan Pathak.
After the restart, India replied immediately with a goal from Varun Kumar, who took over the penalty corner duties from Harmanpreet Singh.
After a deadlock in midfield, China scored their second goal from a superb penalty corner conversion as Ji Sheng Gao found the top right corner, making it 2-5.
It did not take India long to shoot back as Varun Kumar scored their sixth goal when he converted a penalty corner in the dying minutes of the second quarter to give India a lead of 6-2.
With goals galore in the first half, the Chennai crowd had every reason to be happy.
However, the second half of the match remained dull, with India slowing down their pace and scoring only one goal when Mandeep Singh deflected one from a penalty corner in the 40th minute.
With a comprehensive win in the first game, the Indian team will be up against Japan on Friday.