Pakistan set Azlan Shah pace with win over New Zealand

KARACHI: Pakistan finally managed to put one over New Zealand when the two teams met in the opening match of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup on Thursday.

Pakistan, who overturned a five-match deficit against the Kiwis, won the match with a 4-2 score-line at the Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh, Malaysia.

With a new captain – Muhammad Imran – at their helm, Pakistan made an aggressive start to the match as Umar Bhutta made the first attempt on goal in the opening minute. While Bhutta’s shot went wide of the goal, Muhammad Rizwan Sr. was on target with his third-minute strike.

The goal awakened the New Zealand attack but the strong Pakistan defence denied the Kiwis any chance of getting back on level terms. Instead, in the 24th minute, Pakistan consolidated their lead when a rebound off Sohail Abbas penalty corner was slotted in by Syed Kashif Shah.

The 2010 Asian Games champion went into half-time with their lead intact after New Zealand failed to convert from the two penalty corners they were awarded in the dying moments of the first half.

Five minutes into the second half, Sohail Abbas was back in action as he drag-flicked from a penalty-corner. The leading goal-scorer in the world was unlucky again as New Zealand goalkeeper Kyle Pontifex made a diving save.

Muhammad Waqas put former under-19 star Abdul Haseem Khan through in the 51st minute and Haseem duly converted from close-range.

Pakistan’s solid defence line was broken by Andrew Hayward in the 59th minute, as he converted from a penalty corner. Two minutes later, Umar Bhutta scored his second to ensure a three-goal cushion for his team but Hugo Inglis scored in the 63rd minute to reduce the goal margin.

Pakistan team manager K.M. Junaid said it was an important victory as opening matches were usually tougher.

“I thank the Almighty for the win as it is a good start for us. We have several young players and they came away good as this is their first time playing in such humid conditions,” he said.

South Korea’s dramatic comeback against India
Pakistan play their second match of the tournament against their Asian Games semi-final opponents South Korea, who beat India in Thursday’s second match.

The two Asian giants of the game squared off in what turned out to be a five-goal thriller as South Korea overturned India’s 2-0 lead to register the win.

The opening goal of the match came in the 20th minute, when Diwikar Ram scored from a penalty corner to put India in the lead.

The match truly sparked into life in the 24th minute as a Korean ‘goal’ from a penalty corner was disallowed by umpire Martin Madden. The ensuing heated debate Korea lost two players, Lee Seung II and Jang Jong Hyun, to green cards. Their protest continued as Korea walked off the pitch but returned as the umpire refused to let the goal stand.

Korea’s fate worsened three minutes later when Danish Mujtaba’s reverse stick-hit made it 2-0 for India.

The Koreans, ranked sixth in the world, did not give up and pulled one back in the 31st minute through Cho Suk-Hoon from their third penalty corner.

In the second half, they were the dominant team and had the Indians in sixes and sevens as they attacked the faltering Indian defence with relative ease.

Yoon Sung-Hoon put them level in the 41st minute and Jang Jung-Hyun grabbed the winner with a penalty stroke conversion in the 56th.

In the last game of the day, Great Britain got off to a winning start when they defeated hosts Malaysia 3-1. The British will meet India on Friday while hosts Malaysia have a date with world number one Australia.

Both teams are defending the title after being declared joint champions when heavy rain caused play to be abandoned last year, and they showed their mettle in an exhilarating match of two very different halves.

Indian coach Harinder Singh said his team lost the plot in the second half after two of their players, Mahdik Dhananjay and Shivendra Singh, were injured.

“The Koreans are always fast with their game and in the second half applied a lot of pressure on us. The players failed to say focused and we paid the price by letting them get the goals,” he said.

Hosts downed by British
In the last game of the day, Great Britain got off to a winning start when they defeated hosts Malaysia 3-1.

The British will meet India on Friday while hosts Malaysia have a date with world number one Australia.