India had recorded a commanding 7-0 victory over China, advancing to the tournament final against South Korea. Multiple players contributed to the scoring, with Abhishek netting twice while Shilanand Lakra, Dilpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Raj Kumar Pal, and Sukhjeet Singh each added one goal.
India established their dominance from the opening whistle, with Shilanand Lakra scoring in the fourth minute off an aerial ball from Harmanpreet Singh to Jarmanpreet Singh.
Dilpreet Singh extended the lead in the seventh minute, capitalizing on a rebound from Harmanpreet Singh’s penalty corner drag flick.
The Indian team maintained their aggressive approach in the second quarter, with Mandeep Singh scoring in the 18th minute after a sequence involving Harmanpreet Singh and Vivek Sagar Prasad.
Coach Craig Fulton expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating: “I thought it was a great performance against China. We started well. First quarter, first half. That set the tone for the game. I am really happy. We played really well (in the draw against South Korea). But it is a high-performance sport, we have to do it again. Everything in the past is gone. We have to recreate it tomorrow. We are looking forward to it. We have to play the game, not the occasion.”
The third quarter saw India add two more goals. Raj Kumar Pal scored in the 37th minute off assists from Shilanand Lakra and Dilpreet Singh.
Sukhjeet Singh made it 5-0 in the 39th minute, converting a pass from Dilpreet Singh.
Abhishek added two more goals in the final quarter, scoring in the 46th and 50th minutes to complete the 7-0 victory.
Captain Harmanpreet Singh reflected on the team’s improvement from their previous encounter with China: “We will make sure we do not repeat the mistakes we did in the finals and continue our plus points. Final is a final and hope we continue with the same mindset and give our 100 per cent from the starting minute. It is rare to see such an environment. The crowd supported us and stood for us despite rain, it gives us motivation.”
Vice-captain Hardik Singh emphasised the team’s collective effort: “The team played really well. Our execution was good, which had not been happening for our first 3-4 matches. Our forwards had a meeting and they executed well. Only media and experts focus a lot on Harmanpreet, not ours because we play as a team. If he is not able to score, it is our duty to score. Even if he does not score, it is fine because we have good forwards. Our team talked that during the Super 4s, during the important matches, we need to be at our best execution-wise, be it as forwards or whole team. Job is not finished yet for us.”
Forward Abhishek Nain praised the team’s defensive performance: “We got a clean sheet. The passes distributed by our defence were good. That is why we did so well today.”
Coach Fulton mentioned that Mandeep Singh had rolled his ankle during the match, with a final update pending.
