In a major move, India won its second successive match in the Champions trophy Hockey and defeated New Zealand by 4-2 in a superb performance. By this win India got a step closer to the quarterfinals in the 34th edition of the FIH Champions Trophy hockey here today.
It is India’s second successive win as it had already beaten England on Saturday. India sit pretty atop Pool A and are the only team in the eight-team competition to have won both their matches.
India continued to be the surprise team as they are lowest ranked (11) in the nine-day tournament.
The last game of the day started poorly for India as they scored an own goal early into the match to give New Zealand a 1-0 lead. But the eight-time Olympic champions were quick to atone for the mistake, firing in two consecutive goals within a four-minute span to move ahead with a 2-1 lead.
Akashdeep Singh netted the first goal and Gurwinder Singh Chani followed up by popping the ball between the legs of New Zealand goalie Devon Manchester in the 14th minute.
However New Zealand, wasting no time, fought back in the second-half. Nicholas Wilson fired in a shot from point-blank range just two minutes after resumption to make it 3-2.
But that was the last of the New Zealand fight-back.
However the coming days in the tournament seems not so easy for India as it has to face a tough hurdle against London Olympic champions and World No.1 Germany Tuesday. A win will guarantee them a place in the quarterfinals while a loss or draw will put India in a tight situation and their progress will depend on the result of the other Pool match.
(With inputs from IANS)
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