India took their goal tally to 23 in the four games they have played in the Asian Champions Trophy as they demolished China 9-0 on Tuesday. Akashdeep Singh, Jasjit Singh and Yousuf Affan top-scored with two goals each. Rupinder Pal Singh, Nikkin Thimmaiah and Lalit Upadhyay also registered their names on the scoresheet in what was a walkabout for the tournament favourites.
With rain delaying the start of the match, India had to bend their backs to move the ball swiftly across the turf and were slow to start with. The floodgates opened through a careless pass from China's Meng Dihao. Akashdeep Singh intercepted, ran towards goal and put India in the lead with a ferocious reverse hit.
India came into their own in the second quarter, where they scored three goals. Their second came through Affan, who calmly finished from the goalkeeper's right after receiving a pass from Akashdeep Singh.
Luck favoured Jasjit Singh as he made a run into the box, and his reverse hit from a deflection found the bottom left corner to triple India's lead. Five minutes later, Rupinder Pal Singh gave his opponents no chance as he converted a penalty corner to give India a 4-0 lead at half-time.
There was absolutely no respite for China as India plundered four goals in the third quarter. The fifth goal came from Nikkin Thimmaiah, who trapped SK Uthappa's pass with his back facing the goal. He swiveled to his right and smashed the ball high over the keeper's left.
Thimmaiah then turned provider as he set up Lalit Upadhyay, who gave India a six-goal cushion. Akashdeep Singh cut past three Chinese defenders before comfortably finding the bottom corner to the keeper's left, getting his second, and his team's seventh. Towards the end of the third quarter, Affan also got his second of the game.
Goalkeeper Akash Chikte, who came in as a last-minute replacement for skipper PR Sreejesh, also put in a terrific shift, tipping away two Chinese penalty corners to keep his clean sheet intact. India had slowed down in the final quarter. Jasjit got his second with an unstoppable hit to the top corner. In the midst of this carnage, Rupinder Pal Singh also had a penalty corner ruled out. India play hosts Malaysia tomorrow in what will be a top of the table clash.
Brief scores:
India 9 (Akashdeep Singh x 2, Jasjit Singh x 2, Yousuf Affan x 2, Rupinder Pal Singh, Lalit Upadhyay, Nikkin Thimmaiah) beat China 0
