Ipoh: As expected, India handed over a humiliating 9-1 defeat to Bangladesh in the Asia Cup league encounter here on Wednesday.
Rupinderpal Singh and VR Raghunath scored a hat-trick each and with this win, India remained unbeaten in all of their league matches. India will now take on Malaysia in the second semi-finals of the ninth Asia Cup hockey tournament in Ipoh on Friday.
South Korea will be up against Pool A toppers Pakistan in the first semi-final.
India were leading by a huge margin of four goals after the first half and they scored five more in second half to outdo lacklustre minnows. India got 10 penalty corners and converted six.
Rupinderpal started the proceedings with the hat-trick of goals which came in 4th, 19th, 27th minute. He increased his tally to four by scoring another in the 61st minute. Raghunath too struck with his hat-trick of goals in 29th, 52nd, 59th minute. Nikkin Thimmaiah (25th) and Mandeep Singh (47th) were the other goal-getters for India.
Raghunath now shares the top spot with Jang Jong Hyun of South Korea as the leading goal scorer as both of them have scored six goals so far.
Bangladesh's lone goal came from the stick of their skipper Md Mamunur Rahman Chayan (35th minute).