New Delhi: Making their FIH Pro League debut, the Indian women’s team defeated China 7-1 in a match played at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on Monday.
The Savita Punia-led side did an excellent job to outperform the Chinese in the match played after the Women’s Asia Cup, where the Indian group won the bronze after beating similar rivals 2-0.
Led by Team India head coach Jeanneke Schopman, the women in blue today proved that they are up to the challenges in the FIH Hockey Pro League.
This was Team India’s first match in the FIH Hockey Pro League, after Australia and New Zealand withdrew from the competition due to COVID-related travel restrictions.
In another achievement for the team, three goals were scored by India from penalty strokes, the most number of penalty strokes awarded and converted into a Hockey Pro League match.
Two goals scored by Team India in the opening quarter of the match were enough to prove that they are ready to face the challenge. Navneet Kaur gave her team the lead in the fifth minute with a shot at Wu Surong.
Exactly seven minutes later, a miraculous save from China’s penalty corner by captain and goalkeeper Savita turned into an advantage for the winning team.
Early in the play, the order of the dice and the players’ willingness to pick up the defenders continued but India looked strong in that area as well.
In the second half of the match, the Chinese began to step up their game, but were unable to put pressure on the debutants, and then India converted another counter-attack from Kataria Vandana, who hit Wu in the second attempt. Set the ball in front. A report on the FIH’s official website said his first shot was a rebound.
For the final part of the match, the Chinese players began to step up their game, but could not increase the tension on the debutants, and later, India converted another counter-attack into an objective by Kataria Vandana, who followed suit. set the ball in front of Wu in an attempt to stun, after the first shot bounced back, a report on the FIH’s TrueSight stated.
China was finally rewarded with some smooth movements and rapid passes. The ball was quickly taken to the pitch and Deng Xu had the option of directing the ball towards the goal and left behind Etimarpu Rajani, who had replaced Savita in India’s goal.
When India won the penalty stroke in the 47th moment, China hoped the goal could change the course of the game. The report said that former captain Sushila Chanu did no wrong as she went ahead and put the ball in the corner of China’s goal.
India’s next goal came from the stick of forward Sharmila Devi. The progress of the pass left China’s defense open and Sharmila was able to convert the ball into goal for India’s fifth goal.
A subsequent penalty stroke was won by India’s attack as the Chinese defense was simply unable to work with Lalremsiami’s cleverness. Gurjit Kaur went ahead calmly and sent the ball home.
With eight minutes to go, Sushila scored her own penalty stroke of the game and made the final score 7-1.
Sharmila Devi was adjudged the player of the match. Upon receiving his award, the striker said: “I am very pleased with that performance. We played very well and we are very excited to be playing in the FIH Hockey Pro League for the first time.”
,