Wrapping up

HOOTER! Phew, that’s it, then. From 17-0 in the first game, India have scored a whopping 26 in the second. They have been ruthless, clinical in the first two matches. They were hardly tested by both their opponents. This, unbelievably, was more one-sided than the first one. This team also bettered the 24-1 margin (India’s highest until today) of the 1932 team at the Los Angeles Olympics.

Final quarter (1 minute to go) India 26-0 Hong Kong China: Rupinder Pal Singh scores with less than a minute to go. India are ahead by a whopping 26 goals!

Final quarter (2 minutes to go) India 25-0 Hong Kong China: After a stream of goals, the scoring has stopped (paused?) for a bit. Three minutes and zero goals. Seems like a long time in this match.

Final quarter (5 minutes to go) India 25-0 Hong Kong China: Seems like the Hong Kong defenders have given up. The goals keep coming for India. Harmanpreet scores a field goal to make it 25-0.

Final quarter (5 minutes to go) India 24-0 Hong Kong China: Lalit scores his fourth goal of the day after a scramble in front of the goal mouth. If Hong Kong China doesn’t score anymore, India can better their own record for the highest victory margin.

Final quarter (8 minutes to go) India 23-0 Hong Kong China: GOALS! Harmanpreet Singh and Simranjeet Singh score off two back-to-back Penalty Corners. India are one more goal away from their highest margin record.

Final quarter (8 minutes to go) India 21-0 Hong Kong China: GOAL! Off a penalty corner again. Harmanpreet Singh, again, making no mistake. India are inching closer to their highest record.

Final quarter (9 minutes to go) India 21-0 Hong Kong China: GOAL! Off a penalty corner. Harmanpreet Singh making no mistake. He unleashes a flick to the right side of the ‘keeper.

Final quarter (10 minutes to go) India 20-0 Hong Kong China: GOAL! Just four more goals to equal the world record. Chinglensana, this time, from the right flank tapping in the goal.

Final quarter (10 minutes to go) India 19-0 Hong Kong China: Penalty corner. Rupinder with a drag-flick. But the ball goes well above the net.

Final quarter (13 minutes to go) India 19-0 Hong Kong China: Two minutes into the final quarter, India score their 19th goal. Can they better the world record victory margin today (24-1)?

Third quarter (less than a minute to go) India 18-0 Hong Kong China: GOAL! India earn a penalty corner with less than 10 seconds to go in the third quarter. No variations this time. A superb drag-flick to the left bottom corner of the ‘keeper by Rupinder Pal Singh. India have bettered their victory margin of their opening game.

Third quarter (3 minutes to go) India 17-0 Hong Kong China: Penalty Corner. India, once again, try out a variation. But it doesn’t work out well. They fail to convert this one. Thankfully for Hong Kong China, no goals scored in the last five minutes.

Third quarter (7 minutes to go) India 17-0 Hong Kong China: GOAL! Hat-trick for Akashdeep. Superb run by Manpreet, getting past two Hong Kond defenders, to pass the ball to Mandeep, who gives it to Akashdeep in front of the goal mouth.

Third quarter (9 minutes to go) India 16-0 Hong Kong China: PC. India try a variation again. Harmanpreet hits the ball a little wide to SV Sunil, who, despite diving can’t reach the ball.

Third quarter (10 minutes to go) India 16-0 Hong Kong China: GOAL! Back to back PCs. India try a variation this time. Harmanpreet pushes the ball to Lalit Upadhyay, who deflects it to the net.

Third quarter (13 minutes to go) India 15-0 Hong Kong China: GOAL! Not even a minute and a half have passed since the restart. And, Akashdeep scores yet another goal. The contest’s now about how many goals India and the individuals in the team can score.

Second quarter (1 minutes to go) India 14-0 Hong Kong China: GOAL! India earn a Penalty Corner with less than half a minute to go. The first one doesn’t yield a goal. But they get an another chance as the ball hits the foot of a Hong Kong defender. Varun Kumar converts the second one. And, with that, the first half ends.

Second quarter (4 minutes to go) India 13-0 Hong Kong China: GOAL! Amit’s PC gets blocked. But the rebound gets to Harmanpreet, who has enough time to tap the ball and drive it into the net.

Second quarter (4 minutes to go) India 12-0 Hong Kong China: GOAL! Penalty Corner. Amit Rohidas, this time, with a monstrous drag flick to the goalkeeper’s right. India resume the scoring.

Second quarter (4 minutes to go) India 11-0 Hong Kong China: Hong Kong is now just happy to clear the balls away even if they are going out. Their defenders are hitting the ball as hard as possible.

Second quarter (7 minutes to go) India 11-0 Hong Kong China: GOAL! Rupinder from the right flank passes the ball to Mandeep at the goalmouth for him to score the 11th. Indians are doing this with ridiculous ease.

Second quarter (9 minutes to go) India 10-0 Hong Kong China: GOAL! Superb pass by Dilpreet to Mandeep, taking on two defenders. Mandeep was in a slightly awkward position to take the shot. But somehow he flicks the ball into the net.

Second quarter (12 minutes to go) India 9-0 Hong Kong China: GOAL! It’s Lalit Kumar again. India find a way to get past the packed Hong Kong defence and get their ninth goal.

Second quarter (13 minutes to go) India 8-0 Hong Kong China: GOAL! The Hongkongers didn’t do too bad there. But brilliant of Manpreet to evade them and slot in India’s eighth goal.

Second quarter (14 minutes to go) India 7-0 Hong Kong China: GOAL! Penalty Corner. RP Singh hits, the goalie saves. But there’s a bit of scramble near the goal mouth. Lalit Kumar capitalises and slots in India’s 7th.

First quarter (1 minutes to go) India 6-0 Hong Kong China: GOAL! India score one more in the last minute to go 6-0 up. The teenagers in the team, Vivek and Dilpreet, combine well to get this one. Three more quarters to go and to think that they are already ahead by six goals!

First quarter (4 minutes to go) India 5-0 Hong Kong China: About four minutes since the last goal was scored. Bit of a breather for Hong Kong China. They are struggling to stop this Indian onslaught.

First quarter (7 minutes to go) India 5-0 Hong Kong China: GOAL! Another one. Varun Kumar plays a long ball from near the halfline. The Hong Kong China defenders fail to intercept. SV Sunil deflects it into the net.

First quarter (10 minutes to go) India 4-0 Hong Kong China: GOAL! Rupinder Pal Singh converts another Penalty Corner. He flicks the ball to the right of the goalie.

First quarter (11 minutes to go) India 3-0 Hong Kong China: GOAL! First Penalty Corner. And Rupinder Pal Singh comes in and does his thing. India are up by three goals.

First quarter (12 minutes to go) India 2-0 Hong Kong China: GOAL! Superb drive from Manpreet from the left top corner of the Hong Kong circle. India have doubled their lead in quick time.

First quarter (13 minutes to go) India 1-0 Hong Kong China: GOAL! Precisely 100 seconds into the game, Akashdeep opens the account for India.

STARTING XI:-

12:15 pm Hello all, welcome to the live coverage of India versus Hong Kong China. In all likelihood, going to be another easy outing for PR Sreejesh and his men. Well, Sreejesh (literally) didn’t have to do anything on the field in the last game. Only twice or thrice did the opposition entered the Indian half. He was just watching his teammates score goals one after another. Hong Kong China’s ranking of 45 and their lack of experience don’t hold up against India, which is vying to be the world’s best.