In their dress rehearsal for the Asian Games, India did well by completing a whitewash in the three-match series against New Zealand. Buoyed by the series win on Saturday, India thrashed the visitors 4-0 at the Sports Authority of India campus in Bengaluru on Sunday.
Rupinder Pal Singh (for the third straight match), Surender Kumar, Mandeep Singh and Akashdeep Singh were on target for the men in blue.
The Kiwis were under pressure from the beginning from the Indians, who played a hard-pressed game. The men in blue penetrated their opponents’ circle with relative ease. The constant attack fetched them their first penalty corner of the match within three minutes of the start. New Zealand heaved a sigh of relief when Rupinder, after receiving well the injection from Sardar Singh, hit the side-bar.
But India didn’t have to wait long for their first goal. With seven minutes for the first quarter to end, India earned their second penalty corner, which they earned after an attacking run by Simranjeet Singh. Rupinder, this time, found the net, rightward of the goalkeeper.
High on confidence due to the early lead, India, three minutes later, looked to double it when Harmanpreet Singh made a brilliant interception in the middle and passed the ball to SV Sunil. The ball was then passed on the run by Sunil to Birendra Lakra, who couldn’t beat the rushing New Zealand ‘keeper despite his dive.
India came alarmingly close to scoring their second goal when Sardar and Mandeep Singh played a one-two near the New Zealand goal mouth. But the latter hit it inches wide of the net.
Defender Surender Kumar, however, tapped in a last-minute goal in the first quarter for the men in blue to lead 2-0.
India, who got their third penalty corner at the start of the second quarter, had an opportunity to go 3-0 up. But Varun Kumar, who received the injection from Manpreet Singh, struck it wide.
Mandpreet was in the action again, two minutes later, when he passed the ball on the run from the edge of the circle to Mandeep, who ran in from the opposite side. But unable to control his pace, Mandeep’s shot went wide.
Then, for the next four minutes, the Kiwis took control of the game. This was perhaps the longest phase of the game where they had more circle penetrations than the hosts.
India constantly created chances during the third quarter with the attempts of Sunil, Vivek Prasad and Simranjeet either hitting the side bar or being saved by the goalkeeper.
Then, in the 44th minute, Mandeep tapped in India’s third goal after a crowded battle took place near goalmouth between the Indian attackers and the New Zealand defence.
The best chance for the visitors to salvage the scoreline came in the third quarter, where they earned four back-to-back penalty corners. But none of them they could convert.
With five minutes for the match to end, both team took out their goalkeepers to allow an extra man in the attack. But the strategy paid dividends for the hosts as Akashdeep hit the final nail on the coffin for the Kiwis, scoring India’s fourth.