Five-time champions India pulverised Canada with a 14-3 victory and qualified for tomorrow’s final of the 13th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup at the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Stadium in Ipoh today.
The Indians, who made a return to the tournament after a lapse of six years, needed to win this match for a spot in the final. Craig Fulton’s India amassed 12 points after the conclusion of the preliminary round are likely to face Belgium/New Zealand in the final.
Belgium are playing against Nations Cup champion New Zealand in the second match of the day now.
The Indians got off to the match on a rollicking note with quickfire goals after Brendan Guraliuk failed to convert a penalty stroke for Canada in the second minute of play.
Jugraj Singh scored four goals (12th, 26th, 39th, 50th), while Rajinder Singh (10th, 24th), Amit Rohidas (15th, 46th), Abhishek (57th, 59th), Sharma Nilakanta (4th), Dilpreet Singh (25th), Karthi Selvam (43rd) and Sanjay (56th) added to Canada’s misery.
Canada replied through Guraliuk (11th), Matthew Sarmento (35th), and Jyothswaroop Sidhu (55th).
The last time India played Canada in an international tournament was at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and at the 2019 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. They defeated the Canadians 8-0 in Birmingham, and 7-3 in the SAS Cup respectively.
INDIA: Craig Fulton (Coach)
We came into this game knowing it was a semi-final, so a draw wouldn’t really be enough, if New Zealand beats Belgium. So, just to take matters out of other people’s hands and put it into ours, we needed to get a good performance and I think at halftime at 7-1 we clicked and the PCs were firing well.
Canada still scored three, but we did the damage in the first half and it was well played. They had a penalty stroke in the first 20 seconds. It wasn’t really well played from us. We had the ball in there 25 and turn over made two mistakes.
I’m glad we finished and scored some good goals. I’m just not thinking about the final yet. It’s more a case of how we coped today, what we did like how we executed, I think it was very good for us to get some rhythm and score some goals because any Indian team with confidence is very dangerous.
CANADA: Patrick Tshutshani (Coach)
India were way better than us in all facets. I thought we started well with the stroke and unfortunately, we missed the stroke and India dominated then on. Also we gave away some soft penalty corners which we conceded. We tried to pull it back in the second half but the game was really gone by then.
Tough day and we go back to the drawing board. Obviously, will watch what Malaysia and Korea bring now. We would have got more confidence, if we had scored from the early penalty stroke to keep the game a little bit tighter.
