Much like the opening game of their Asia Cup campaign against Thailand, there was never really any doubt about India’s result in their final Pool B match versus Singapore, as Salima Tete’s side completed a professional performance to register a 12-0 win in Hangzhou on Monday.
The margin of victory was significant enough to better Japan’s goal difference after they had beaten Thailand 6-0 earlier in the day, meaning India finished top of Pool B. India’s real challenge begins on Wednesday in the Super 4s round-robin with three matches in four days against Korea, red-hot favourites China and a rematch against Japan.
Against Singapore, it was once again vice-captain Navneet Kaur (14th minute, 20’, 28’) who ran the show as she – according to official tournament stats – scored a hat-trick (one of those, however, appeared to be Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke’s goal). There was another hat-trick too, for forward Mumtaz Khan (2’, 32’, 41’), while Neha (11’, 37’), Lalremsiami (13’), Udita (29’), Sharmila (45’), and Rutuja Pisal (53’) completed the scoring procession.
Seven of India’s goals came from open play, but one concern for coach Harendra Singh would be that India won as many as 21 penalty corners and scored from only five of those set-piece chances, a conversion rate of around 24 percent. Coaches generally believe that the conversion rate should be at least 33 percent, meaning one in three chances.
A fine solo goal from Mumtaz in the second minute kicked off India’s march towards the dozen they ended up with, as the forward struck a powerful reverse hit from the edge of the circle. That was followed by a nine-minute drought – the longest of the match – as Singapore showed impressive resilience in defence while Indian players were being over-elaborate.
Neha, who was influential from the midfield right through the match, completed a good 1-2 passing move to put India 2-0 up and from there, the floodgates opened as India scored three in as many minutes. Siami tapped home at the near post, and then Navneet converted from a penalty corner. She scored India’s fifth as well, early in Q2, drilling one to the right of the goalkeeper from the edge of the circle, after Sangita Kumari stole the ball off a Singapore defender.
India’s sixth came after a couple of PCs, with Navneet once again acting as the go-to option. Her angular strike at goal seemed to be saved initially, but it went in off the stick of Vaishnavi, who was waiting at the far post after injecting. However, in the record books it entered as Navneet’s hat-trick goal.
From India’s sixth PC, Udita took a touch to her right to make her own angle and slapped it home low as India went into halftime with a 7-0 lead.
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Early in Q3, India kept up the pressure as Mumtaz scored her second on the turn from close range after good rotation of flanks in the build-up. After a couple of set-piece variations didn’t work out, Neha scored a deflected goal from India’s 10th PC, which was won by Sharmila Devi’s signature speed across the turf. Mumtaz then completed her hat-trick with a finish from close range for 10-0. Sharmila would get her well-earned goal too, a simple tap-in after Neha’s PC hit squeezed under the goalkeeper.
India’s sloppiness from penalty corners would be seen predominantly at the start of the fourth quarter but by then the game was already over and the heat in Hangzhou was starting to take its toll as well (players were given longer breaks between quarters to hydrate and use ice packs).
Navneet, Neha and Udita tried a few variations between themselves but nothing quite panned out. India’s solitary goal in the final quarter came from Rutuja as she scored off a good inside-out pass from Vaishnavi. A dozen to the good, and first task on the checklist completed for coach Harendra’s side.
India’s Super 4s fixtures at Women’s Asia Cup
Sep 10, 2.15 pm: IND Vs KOR
Sepn 11, 4.30 pm: IND vs CHN
Sep 13, 2.15 pm: IND vs JPN
Sep 14: Medal matches
