India needs to beat Malaysia to reach the Azlan Shah Cup final!
May 17
Malaysia: Needing nothing short of a win in their last round robin match to reach the final, India will leave no stone unturned as they meet hosts Malaysia in the Azlan Shah hockey tournament in Ipoh on Saturday. A victory against Malaysia is essential for India, as that will take them to the title clash against Argentina. But if the match ends in a draw, it will help Pakistan reach the final on the basis of a better goal difference.
India must be brimming with confidence after having defeated three Beijing-bound teams in a row, but they have to focus hard on containing the fast-moving Malaysians if they want to win the crucial game.
“The Malaysians are faster on their feet and quicker in movements. They rely on speed. Our prospects therefore would depend on who would control the tempo of the game,” Indian coach A. K. Bansal said.
Given all the scandals and controversy surrounding the Indian hockey team, one is pretty surprised by this performance. After their first victory against Canada (3-1), they went on to trash Belgium (6-4) and lastly, Pakistan (2-1).
Stumble it!