Asia Cup: India crush Indonesia 16-0 to book place in Super 4s

Knowing that their fate wasn’t in their hands, a nervous Indian hockey team was silently but keenly watching the Japan vs Pakistan clash from the stands of the GBK Sports Complex in Jakarta on Thursday. Only a win for Japan would hand India a distant opportunity of progressing in the Asia Cup. And the lifeline was given when Japan won 3-2.

India now faced a steep target of not just beating hosts Indonesia but hammering them with a 15-goal margin to qualify for the Super 4s. The defending champions not just achieved their objective but went one better to record a sensational win, crushing Indonesia 16-0 to enter the second round of the continental competition.

Having drawn 1-1 against arch-rivals Pakistan and lost 2-5 to Asian Games champions Japan in their previous two Pool A matches, the inexperienced Indian team—11 of whom are making their international debut in this tournament—had a point to prove. World No 50 Indonesia were not going to be pushovers, especially after their lopsided losses to Japan (0-9) and Pakistan (0-13).

Inexperienced and under pressure they may be but the Birendra Lakra-led outfit rose to the occasion to record one of India’s biggest victories.

“All credit goes to the players. They understood what we needed to do and delivered. All are youngsters, making their international debut so it was a great performance by them. We had to play our best and everybody did so, giving their 100%,” said India coach Sardar Singh.

By virtue of the victory, India also knocked out neighbours Pakistan out of the eight-team competition, ending their hopes of qualifying for the 2023 World Cup. Japan topped the pool with nine points with India and Pakistan finishing with four but the former advanced on better goal difference (+13 to +12).

The Asia Cup being a World Cup qualifier, the top-3 teams were going to qualify for the global event next year in Odisha. Japan, Malaysia and South Korea made the cut by reaching the Super 4s while India have already qualified as hosts.

This is only the second time in history that Pakistan have failed to make it to the World Cup, having missed the 2014 edition too. Once masters of the game, they also failed to qualify for the last two Olympics in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

Dipsan Tirkey (42nd, 47th, 59th, 59th) starred for India, scoring four goals, while Sudev Belimagga (45th, 46th, 55th) also scored a hat-trick. Player of the match Pawan Rajbhar (10th, 11th), SV Sunil (19th, 24th) and Karthi Selvam (40th, 56th) scored a brace each while Uttam Singh (14th), Nilam Sanjeep Xess (20th) and skipper Birendra Lakra (41st) put one each past the Indonesian goalkeeper.

A relentless India went full press against the hosts from the start; it seemed as if Indonesia were playing with 11 defenders without strikers or the midfield. Statistics spoke the same as India maintained an incredible 80 percent possession which culminated in 43 circle penetrations (to Indonesia’s one) and 36 shots on goal (to one of the hosts).

India struggled to get penalty corners against Japan on Tuesday, earning only two, but Thursday was different as the Lakra-led outfit earned 21 short corners, converting eight.

Goalkeepers Julius Rumaropen and Alam Fajar were the busiest players on the turf, regularly trying to thwart India’s attempts. But despite that, India sounded the board 16 times.

Given the urgency to score rapidly, India showed their intent by playing most of the contest not just in the Indonesian half but in their striking circle as the hapless defenders regularly failed to clear the ball. But despite the attack initially, Indian strikers couldn’t convert their chances, with pressure building with the ticking clock.

But once Rajbhar struck two goals in as many minutes in the first quarter, the striker started the goal spree with India hammering in three each in the first two quarters. They got closer with four more in the third before drag-flicker Tirkey, forward Belimagga and Selvam handed India a berth in the Super 4s with six goals in the final 15 minutes. “It feels very nice to win. It was a necessary and important win for us,” said Rajbhar.

India will play Japan in their first game of the Super 4s on Saturday. “There are big matches coming up and there is still a lot of room where we need to improve,” said Sardar.

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