Sultan of Johor Cup: India Wins GBR 6-4 to Continue Winning

In a high-scoring match at the Sultan of Johor Cup here on Sunday, the Indian junior men’s hockey team defeated Great Britain 6-4, with braces from Dilraj Singh and Sharda Nand Tiwari.

Prior to Dilraj (17th, 50th) and Sharda Nand (20th, 50th) scoring, Mohd Konain Dad (7th minute) opened India’s account.

While Michael Royden (46h, 59th) and Rory Penrose (2nd, 15th) put their names on the scoreboard for Great Britain, Manmeet Singh (26th) also scored for India.

The Indian team, buoyed by their victory over Japan in their opening game on Saturday, carried on in the same manner and established their dominance right away.

Despite an early setback in which Penrose scored from Britain’s first penalty corner due to a defensive blunder in the second minute of play, India recovered in the seventh minute when Dad scored from a set piece.

However, Penrose scored his second goal through another penalty corner in the fifteenth minute to give Great Britain the lead again.

But with their forwards playing together, India dominated the second quarter, scoring three goals in a row.

First, the erratic striker Dilraj equalised the score at 2-2 with a goal in the 17th minute. He then produced another strong effort to assist Sharda Nand in scoring from a penalty corner in the 20th minute, giving India a 3-2 lead.

In the 26th minute, Dilraj continued to be the focal point of the Indian attack by setting up Manmeet with a fast baseline ball that Manmeet brilliantly touched in to increase the advantage to 4-2.

Dilraj assisted India in winning a penalty corner five minutes into the third quarter, but Great Britain’s defence held firm.

Both teams exchanged penalty corners in the ensuing minutes, but neither was able to convert.

Alex Chihota made a brilliant tackle inside the circle to drive in from the right side, giving Great Britain the lead in the first minute of the fourth quarter.

He was unable to handle the ball, but he gave it to Michael Royden, who beat India goalie Ali Khan to cut the deficit to 4-3.

In the 50th minute, India’s front line earned a vital penalty corner, giving them a fantastic chance to increase their lead. Sharda Nand, a prolific dragflicker, took advantage of the opportunity and scored an incredible goal.

Dilraj scored an incredible field goal in seconds to give India a 6-3 lead.

Great Britain scored its fourth goal in the 59th minute through Michael Royden, who was assisted by Ted Graves from the baseline, as the closing few minutes remained fierce.

However, India did well to maintain their 6-4 lead and finish the match with three points.