A day after India’s penalty corner prowess had put China to the sword, Japan’s defence confirmed how the double battery of Harmanpreet Singh and Varun Kumar may very well be held at bay (for essentially the most half) in an entertaining 1-1 draw on the Mayor Radhakrishnan stadium in Chennai. The targets had been scored by Ken Nagayoshi within the twenty eighth minute and Harmanpreet Singh within the forty third.

The consequence sees India slip to second on the desk after Malaysia continued their good begin with a dominant 5-1 win in opposition to China earlier within the day. They now have six factors in two video games. Meanwhile, defending champions South Korea had been held to a 1-1 draw by Pakistan within the first match of the day. The desk now reads Malaysia, then India, South Korea, Japan and Pakistan.

In the headline match, Japan’s defence had been the celebs of the present. The sheer numbers present how a lot work they needed to undergo — India had 14 penalty corners to Japan’s two, 21 photographs to their three, 27 circle penetrations to their 11, and 61% of the possession.

The first trace of how tough an evening this could be got here inside the first minutes. India gained 4 penalty corners in fast succession and none of them cleared the primary rushers. Japan had countered India’s double battery with a double dashing system that noticed any two of Nagoyoshi, Raiki Fujishima and Shota Yamada assault the ball at a livid tempo after the PC was set. It was a show of astonishing bravery and India appeared to get more and more flustered because the match wore on.

Another set of 4 PCs got here within the final minute of the primary quarter however as soon as once more the rushers did their job brilliantly. After the match, Harmanpreet would admit that India’s ending had not been as much as scratch but in addition that Japan’s defence had been unimaginable. Having misplaced their first match late on to South Korea, Japan had come into their second with the clear intention of placing their first factors on the board, and their defence was the bedrock of that technique.

The second quarter handed with comparatively little incident – other than repeated makes an attempt to penetrate the circle or smash in tomahawks by Sukhjeet Singh and Karthi Selvam — until the very finish of the interval. In the twenty eighth minute Japan gained their second (and final) PC of the sport and Nagayoshi, who had been on the receiving finish of a good few thunderbolts, delivered one among his one to nutmeg the defender on the put up. It was a sensational strike and the applause of the partisan crowd indicated that it’d been simply rewards for his or her braveness in protection.

The third quarter noticed an early PC thwarted as soon as once more by the sensible dashing of Japan, however there was to be no denying Harmanpreet within the forty third minute. He lined up his PC, and was simply that little too fast for the rushers as he powered one straight and laborious — it went by the goalkeeper’s legs and smashed into the objective.

The fourth quarter began a lot the identical approach – India successful three PCs in fast succession within the opening couple of minutes – however none went previous the rushers. The threat component in doing this was highlighted when after one of many flicks, Yamada needed to be carried off the pitch. He’d been struck flush on the kneecap by a Harmanpreet rocket. Japan refused to buckle, although, and although India gained one other collection of two PCs late within the match, they weren’t in a position to make any additional dents within the defence.

After a day’s break, India will subsequent play the spectacular Malaysia on August 6 at 8.30 PM.