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The Indian Men's Hockey Team produced a sensational attacking performance to defeat arch-rivals Pakistan 7-1 in the reverse fixture of their FIH Pro League London leg at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre on Friday.
Despite trailing early in the first quarter, India responded with seven brilliant goals from Sukhjeet Singh (20'), Harmanpreet Singh (26'), Hardik Singh (34'), Jugraj Singh (35'), Abhishek (41'), Raj Kumar Pal (44') and Dilpreet Singh (54') to secure all three points. Midfielder Hardik Singh was named 'Player of the Match' for his outstanding performance and control in the midfield. Both teams started the match with high intensity, but it was India who won the first penalty corner within the opening 90 seconds thanks to a quick baseline run by Mandeep Singh. While India pushed forward with high tempo, Pakistan's dangerous counter-attacks allowed them to win a penalty corner in the 13th minute. Following an unsuccessful video referral, Pakistan captain Abu Bakar Mahmood (13') converted with a drag-flick to give his team a 1-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. India took complete control of the game in the second quarter by using precise long passes to stretch the Pakistan defence. Pakistan suffered a setback in the 18th minute when a deflected pass from Ali Ghazanfar accidentally struck teammate Ahmad Nadeem on the face, forcing him off the field. India capitalised on the momentum a minute later by earning a penalty corner. Skipper Harmanpreet fired a powerful dragflick, which was expertly deflected into the net by Sukhjeet (20') to make it 1-1. In the 26th minute, India won another penalty corner, and this time Harmanpreet smashed it directly into the top left corner to give India a 2-1 lead heading into halftime. The 'Men in Blue' increased their dominance in the second half. In the 34th minute, India earned consecutive penalty corners, the second of which resulted in a penalty stroke. Hardik stepped up and calmly converted it to make it 3-1. Pakistan responded quickly to win two penalty corners, but the Indian defence blocked the attempts cleanly. After blocking the second penalty corner, India launched a rapid counter-attack as the ball found Dilpreet, who combined brilliantly with Sukhjeet before setting up Jugraj (35') to smash it home for a 4-1 lead. India's frontline remained relentless as Sukhjeet created another opening in the 41st minute, passing to Abhishek, who scored on the run to make it 5-1. Late in the third quarter, India earned four consecutive penalty corners. On the fourth one, Raj Kumar Pal (44') reacted quickest to guide the rebound of Harmanpreet's dragflick into the open goal, extending the lead to 6-1. India maintained their defensive discipline in the final quarter while looking for further openings. In the 54th minute, Dilpreet capped off a brilliant move by scoring India's seventh goal of the match. Pakistan earned back-to-back penalty corners in the dying minutes of the game, but veteran midfielder Manpreet Singh stood firm to block both attempts, sealing a comprehensive 7-1 victory for India. (ANI)
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