The Indian men’s hockey team secured a 4-3 victory over hosts Malaysia in a high-scoring encounter at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup on Wednesday. Following a narrow defeat to Belgium, India bounced back to claim their second win in three matches, keeping their hopes alive for a place in the final.
Captain Sanjay was the hero of the day, converting a crucial penalty stroke in the 53rd minute to seal the win after a seesaw battle that saw the lead change hands multiple times.
India started strongly, dominating possession and forcing Malaysia onto the back foot. The early pressure paid off when Selvam Karthi tapped in a neat setup from Sukhjeet Singh in the 7th minute. However, Malaysia responded quickly against the run of play, with Faizal Saari leveling the score in the 13th minute via a deflected penalty corner.
Undeterred, India regained the lead in the second quarter through Sukhjeet Singh, who finished calmly after collecting a pass from Abhishek, giving the visitors a 2-1 advantage at halftime.
The third quarter proved to be a dramatic affair with Malaysia equalizing through Fitri Saari in the 36th minute, capitalizing on a green card shown to Jugraj Singh. India responded almost immediately with Amit Rohidas converting a penalty corner to make it 3-2. But discipline issues plagued India again as Karthi received a yellow card, allowing Malaysia to level once more through captain Marhan Jalil just before the quarter ended.
The final quarter saw both teams pushing for a winner, with Indian goalkeeper Pawan making a sensational save to keep the scores level. The decisive moment came when India earned a penalty stroke, which Sanjay coolly slotted home.
The visitors then withstood intense late pressure, defending a couple of penalty corners in the dying minutes to hold on for the win.
With this result, India moves to third in the standings with six points. They face a quick turnaround as they prepare to take on New Zealand in their penultimate group stage match on Thursday, November 27. A victory in that game will be crucial for their chances of reaching the final.
