Rajgir, Bihar: ‘Beautiful yet incomplete’, the phrase summed up India’s performance in the semi-final of the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2024.
Experienced players Navneet Kaur and Lalremsiami came to the rescue as the Indian team defeated Japan 2-0 to fix the final against China at the Rajgir Hockey Stadium on Tuesday.
Despite dominating the match and playing brilliantly in transitions, India lacked the finishing touches in the final third.
Playing in front of a packed stadium, India dominantly started the match.
Sangita’s run in the third minute sparked the crowd’s interest, but her run yielded nothing, as Salima Tete’s shot struck the side post. In the next seven minutes, India entered the Japanese circle four times but failed to register a significant shot on the goal.
India earned its first penalty corner in the 11th minute but Sushila Chanu’s mis-trap meant that Navneet failed to hit it properly. Japanese goalkeeper Yu Kudo saved the follow-up on the goal line.
Japan conceded another penalty corner but Kudo stepped up to save another one.
The story continued in the second quarter, as Kudo again stood tall in the goal, saving a shot after Lalremsiami made a brilliant run from the left flank.
India kept winning and wasting penalty corners in the second quarter as the game progressed further.
In the closing minutes of the second quarter, India played brilliantly as Navneet Kaur and Sangita Kumari exchanged passes but Sangita failed to take the shot ending the first half goalless.
Usually dominant in the third quarter, India’s finishing woes continued in the third quarter as despite getting multiple penalty corners, the team failed to breach the Japanese goalkeeper’s resolute defence.
In the 42nd minute, Deepika had the best chance of the game when she robbed one of the Japanese defenders in their half and ran clear towards the goal. With audience up on their feet, she failed to keep it on the target and hit it wide.
The anxiety grew in the stadium as the fourth quarter started.
India’s star in the tournament, Deepika made a run in the Japanese circle but she was fouled and India got a stroke.
Experienced Navneet Kaur stepped up amid the rising noise and slotted it behind Kudo to make make it 1-0 for India.
With the one goal secured, the Indian team breathed sigh of relief and the team grew in confidence with more and more attacks in the closing minutes of the game.
The crowd stood up in applause again in the 56th minute as the experience of Lalremsiami and youthful energy of Sunelita combined to gift India the second goal.
A dazzling run from Sunelita on the right flank ended in a minus pass which landed on the stick of Lalremsiami and she scored despite Kudo getting her hand to it.
The goal more or less secured India’s position in the final and with the last hooter, it was sure that India would enter their second consecutive final of the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy.
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