New Delhi: India beat Azerbaijan 3-0 to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the four-Test match series being held at the Major Dhyanchand Hockey Stadium here on Wednesday.
India started on an attacking note from the word go and took the lead (1-0) in the very third minute of the game through Sushila Chanu. Though India continued with their attacks thereafter, it was only in the 32nd minute that Anuradha Devi made it 2-0 for the hosts. Coming into the half with a crucial lead of 2-0, India could add just another goal in the next 35 minutes when Ritu Rani found the plank in the 67th minute to make it 3-0.
The match that was played in front of empty stands was lit up by the Indian team, as they looked in control for the most part of the match. India started the match without Ritu Rani who scored the opener in the last match. But that didn’t matter much as the lapses from the opponents in the field made life easier for the Indian team. Chanu was doing most of the hard work from the right line and was proving a force in herself. She soon was rewarded as she scored the first goal with a shot that went straight through Seda Kheyirova, Azerbaijan’s goalkeeper's leg.
India had another opportunity in the 10th minute but this time Azerbaijan’s defenders did well and stopped the Indian charge. Azerbaijan got the first penalty corner of the match in the 16th minute but they failed to convert it into the equalising goal. Soon after that India got into act and got their first Penalty corner in the 21st minute but they too failed in their attempt to extend the lead. In the 22nd minute, the hosts got a golden opportunity when the opponents goal keeper was no way near the post but Ritu Rani’s shot was stopped by a diving defender.
This was followed by two penalty corners that Azerbaijan got, but just like the previous time they missed both of them. India doubled their lead by a clean shot from Anuradha which the opponents had no answer to. The first half ended with India 2-0 up and looking comfortable to seal the series.
In the beginning of the second half Azerbaijan did control the ball better and managed to find their players with long passes. They managed to get two more penalty corners but to no avail. India also got three penalty corners but they blew their chances in all three of them. In the dying minutes of the match through Rani’s goal India ensured that all is lost for Azerbaijan and that the last match will be played by them only for their pride.
In the post match press conference CR Kumar, coach of Indian team said, “It’s very good for us that we are playing well against Azerbaijan as it is going to help us tremendously.”
“They play European style hockey and playing against them will certainly help us during our Olympic qualifiers. We can learn a lot and can experiment with our own techniques as the other European teams are going to play in similar manners,” he added.
In the end, India will be quite satisfied by their performance but will be worried about not converting the opportunities especially the penalty corners.
“It was good that we scored three field goals. We were working on that aspect of our game, but the problem is when we do well in one area of the game we perform badly in another. It would have been good if we would have got performed a bit better in the penalty corners that we got,” said Kumar.
By Gaurav Jha
Indian Sports News
