India's Hockey Dominance on Full Display
The Indian men's hockey team delivered an absolutely spectacular performance, crushing Canada with an emphatic 14-3 victory to storm into the final of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. This commanding win caps off an impressive pool-stage campaign where India suffered only one narrow defeat against Belgium, the very team they will now face in the championship match on Sunday.
Early Domination Sets the Tone
India established their authority right from the opening minutes of the match. Nilakanta Sharma opened the scoring in just the 4th minute, giving India an early advantage. The momentum continued as Rajinder Singh, who has been enjoying a remarkable run since breaking into the senior team setup, doubled India's lead in the 10th minute.
Canada managed to briefly pull one back through a Brendan Guraliuk penalty corner conversion just a minute later. However, India's response was nothing short of ruthless. Jugraj Singh and Amit Rohidas struck in quick succession during the 12th and 15th minutes respectively, giving India a commanding 4-1 cushion by the end of the first quarter.
Young Squad Shows Exceptional Promise
With several senior players rested for this tournament, the younger Indian squad continued to assert their dominance throughout the second quarter. The team displayed incredible offensive firepower, rattling in three more goals within just three minutes through Rajinder (24th minute), Dilpreet Singh (25th minute), and Jugraj again (26th minute).
This explosive scoring burst pushed the scoreline to 7-1 and effectively shut down the contest before halftime. The performance demonstrated the remarkable depth of Indian hockey talent emerging through the ranks.
Canada attempted to regroup after the break and earned a penalty stroke in the 35th minute, which Matthew Sarmento converted to make it 7-2. However, any hopes of a Canadian comeback were quickly extinguished when Jugraj completed his hat-trick in the 39th minute, followed by another goal from Selvam Karthi in the 43rd minute as India maintained complete control heading into the final quarter.
Goal Rush in Final Quarter
The last 15 minutes turned into an absolute goal fest as India's attacking prowess reached its peak. Amit Rohidas struck from a penalty corner in the 46th minute, before Jugraj converted a penalty stroke in the 50th minute.
Canada found a late consolation through Jyothswaroop Sidhu's penalty corner, but India finished far stronger. Sanjay converted a penalty stroke in the 56th minute, and Abhishek closed out the spectacular rout with two quick goals in the 57th and 59th minutes.
The final scoreline of 14-3 represents one of India's most dominant performances in recent international hockey. This blistering attacking display, combined with a confident young core, sets up a compelling final against Belgium, the only team to have edged India in this tournament so far.
