CHENNAI: It took 10 days, a dogged Malaysian workforce and a passage of free-flowing hockey from a fired-up Indian workforce for the Men’s Asian Champions Trophy to come back to life.

India vs Malaysia: As it happened
It was 1-0 India, then 1-1, 2-1 Malaysia, 3-1 Malaysia, 3-2 Malaysia, 3-3 India and at last 4-3 India; however the hockey that Chennai noticed within the ultimate on Saturday from the purpose Malaysia led 3-1 is how India launched themselves as soon as once more to the world because the Tokyo Olympics bronze medallists for a purpose.

The ‘Men in Blue’ wore the Asian Champions Trophy crown as soon as once more to turn out to be the toast of the nation, and the emotion that hockey manages to invoke within the nation was felt as soon as once more.

Chennai could not have requested for a greater finale to mark the return of worldwide hockey to Tamil Nadu.
Jugraj Singh (ninth minute), Harmanpreet Singh (forty fifth), Gurjant Singh (forty fifth) and Akashdeep Singh (56th) acquired on the scoresheet for India, whereas Abu Kamal Azrai (14th), Rahim Razie (18th) and Muhamad Aminudin (18th) had been the Malaysian goal-scorers.
When nervous faces within the stands felt it was getting a bit too late for a comeback, the 9000-strong crowd determined to hitch one another and cheer ‘India, India’ in unison to get behind their workforce. It labored, and the way!
ACT champions over time

The forty fifth minute included 30 seconds of magic that first noticed an impressed India counter ending in a push on Sukhjeet Singh from behind, which gave India a penalty stroke that Harmanpreet scored off, after which Gurjant’s area effort off one other turnover put India degree at 3-3 to mark the top of the third quarter.
The DJ joined in to additional hearth up the gang and the Indian workforce through the two-minute break, and the stands shook when the followers sang the well-known AR Rahman quantity ‘maa tujhe salam’ in a single voice.
Four minutes 30 seconds from full-time, Akashdeep Singh confirmed his expertise when he pounced onto a ball within the hanging circle and deposited it within the internet, resulting in a deafening roar that by no means misplaced its decibels till the ultimate whistle.
More to observe…