Valencia (Spain), Dec 13: India continued its winning ways at the FIH Women’s Nations Cup as they beat Asian nemesis Japan 2-1 in the pool B encounter.
In their opening match on Sunday, India defeated Chile 3-1. With two back-to-back wins, India is placed on top of pool B with six points while in pool A, hosts Spain leading the points table after two successive wins.
India’s goals came from Salima Tete (5′) and Beauty Dungdung (40′), who is playing her debut tournament with the senior women’s Team. For Japan, Rui Takashima (49′) scored the lone goal in Monday’s match.
Similar to their opening match heroics, India got off to an attacking start against Japan, to whom they lost the Asian Games Final in 2018. In control of the ball, Indian attackers created fine variation early on to find scoring opportunity.
It was Navjot Kaur, who set up Salima Tete with brilliant cross pass. Tete positioned inside the circle showcased excellent footwork and tackling skills to control the ball and put it past the Japanese keeper Eika Nakamura.
The Japanese replied to the 1-0 setback by fetching a well created PC in the dying seconds of the first quarter, but India’s defence did well to ward off the danger.
In the following quarter, India created a couple of scoring opportunities via penalty corners. But none could be converted. Though India pursued field goals, working out good passes in the Japanese D, they could not extend the lead to 2-0 in the second quarter.
The third quarter too began with India earning a PC. But Gurjit Kaur’s dragflick went above the cross bar. It was not until the 40th minute that India could extend their lead to 2-0.
Debutante Beauty, who made an impressive tackle from the top of the striking circle, beating the Japanese defender with some fine drilling skills to score the goal.
She maneuvered perfectly, never taking her eyes off the ball, to make a diving effort to push the ball past Japan’s goalie Nakamura, who had moved a few steps ahead to stop Beauty from scoring.
While her Indian compatriots rushed towards Beauty to celebrate her first International goal, Beauty was ever-so-calm and looked more relieved to have netted the goal and fetched India a crucial 2-0 lead before going into the last quarter.
Although India conceded a field goal in the 49th minute through Rui Takashima, they did well to defend the 2-1 lead even though Japan ended up earning a PC in the final few minutes.
India will next take on South Africa on December 14 in the last pool B match.
