Asian Champions Trophy: India pull away in second half to beat Malaysia, reach semis

In a game that mirrors past Asian Champions Trophy encounters, India outpaced Malaysia in the second half, securing a 2-4 victory and advancing to the semifinals. The script from their clashes with China and Japan played out against Malaysia at Jalandhar's Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium on Sunday. Harmanpreet Singh, the team captain, was instrumental in India's comeback, scoring the first goal and converting a penalty stroke to cement a 2-1 lead.

Malaysia had reached the final of the recent Asian Games and was the tournament's favorite, but fell short to India. The match saw both teams level at halftime, but Harmanpreet's goal in the third minute tipped the scales in India's favor. With the final round robin match against South Korea looming, India will face them on Monday, while Malaysia takes on Japan.

Abhishek, a forward, injured his ankle during warm-ups, impacting India's lineup. Coach Craig Fulton acknowledged the team's struggles without Abhishek, stating, "It's not easy to lose a striker." Despite the score reflecting India's superiority, Fulton expressed a desire for a more decisive result, saying, "You have to take the chances.

Some days it works really well, some days it doesn't, and today was difficult." India's consistent performance has earned them a spot among the strongest teams in the continent, having previously won the Asiad gold medal at Aichi-Nagoya.