Johor Bahru: The Indian junior men’s hockey team defeated Australia 5-4 and entered the semifinals of the Sultan of Johor Cup on Wednesday.
India dominated right from the start. Gursahibjit Singh scored a fine field goal to give India 1-0 lead in the fifth minute.
The team scored three more in the space of five minutes. Haspreet Singh (11th), Mandeep Mor (14th) and Vishnukant Singh (15th) found the target. The 4-0 lead at the end of the first quarter left the defending champion shell shocked.
However, India faltered in its defence in the second quarter only to give away an easy goal through a penalty stroke in the 18th minute. Damon Steffens, who scored the first goal for Australia, found the target again in the 35th minute through a penalty corner.
Though Shilanand Lakra scored in the 43rd minute to take India’s lead to 5-3, Australiait appeared to make a late recovery, by stretched India’s defence.
Steffans converter another penalty corner in the 59th minute. But India held its nerve to win 5-4.