Rupinder hits Japan out of the park, India win 10-2

Kuantan (Malaysia), Oct 20 

Drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh slammed six goals as India launched their campaign in the Asian Champions Trophy with a 10-2 victory over an inexperienced Japan here today.

Repeatedly leaving the Japanese defenders stunned with his rasping drag-flicks, Rupinder converted four penalty corners as fancied India steamrolled the young and inexperienced Japanese side. Striker Ramandeep Singh scored twice in the first quarter, while Talwinder Singh and Yousuf Affan contributed one goal each. Japan’s goals, against the run of play, came through Kenta Tanaka and Hiromasa Ochiai.

With Rupinder converting six of India’s 10 penalty corners, it was a day to forget for Japan, who had won the silver medal in the previous edition, behind Pakistan in 2013. Ramandeep opened India’s account in the second minute with a high push into the corner after receiving Sardar Singh’s pass behind the Japanese defence.

Rupinder then got into the goal-scoring act in the seventh minute with a stinging drag-flick into the right corner. Three minutes later, he sent a rising drag-flick into the net. Ramandeep’s reverse shot from the top of the circle in the 15th minute caught the goalkeeper on the wrong foot and sounded the board. Rupinder’s low flick went in off the goalkeeper’s pads in the 17th minute before Talwinder Singh slotted home a reverse hit in the 19th minute to make it 6-0.

Rupinder converted his fourth successive penalty corner in the 22nd minute before Japan benefitted from a lapse in the Indian defence in the next minute that paved the way for Tanaka to score with a flash strike.

Ochiai deflected in a cross from the right in the 38th minute. Rupinder sent a rising shot into the roof in the 46th minute and got his sixth goal a minute later with a grounder that trickled into the goal off a defender’s stick. 

Earlier, Malaysia beat two-time defending champions Pakistan 4-2. — PTI

Asian Champions Trophy

Results

India (Ramandeep 2’, 15’; Rupinder 7’, 10’, 17’, 22’, 46’, 47’; Talwinder 19’; Yousuf 50’) beat Japan (Tanaka 23’; Ochiai 38’) 10-2

Malaysia (Ansari 13’; Saari 38’, 60’; Saabah 41’) beat Pakistan (Bilal 18’, 34’) 4-2