Asian Champions Trophy: India hammer Pakistan 4-0 to clinch top spot; to face Japan in semis

India maintained their purple patch in the ongoing Asian Champions Trophy as they hammered arch-rivals Pakistan 4-0 in a one-sided contest on Wednesday, August 9. Eight-time Olympic champions showed no mercy on Pakistan as they inflicted their heaviest defeat of the tournament. The win also saw India take the top spot as they remain the only team yet to taste a defeat at the Asian Champions Trophy.

India show no mercy

The high-voltage clash had only one favourite team as India took the initiative from the start which led to their dominance. India’s dominance eventually paid dividends in the 15th minute when skipper Harmanpreet Singh converted a penalty corner to give a 1-0 lead to the hosts. The skipper has been in great form in the tournament and scored his sixth goal to highlight his importance for the team.

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However, he did not have to wait long for his seventh goal of the tournament as he converted another penalty corner in the second quarter. The game was well in control of the hosts and they looked on course to top the group at Malaysia’s expense.

Jugraj Singh would then add one more to India’s tally as the doors for a comeback for Pakistan were all but shut. The goal came in the 36th minute and was the icing on the cake as they maintained their unbeaten run in the Asian Champions Trophy. In another twist, Akashdeep Singh would add insult to injury for Pakistan as he scored India’s fourth goal of the contest.

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India’s run to the final

India will now take on Japan in the semifinal contest on Friday, August 11 while Malaysia will face South Korea in the earlier contest. The result also meant that Pakistan are no longer in contention for the championships and will take China in the fifth-place match. A win for India in the tournament will see them become the second-most successful team in the history of the Asian Champions Trophy with four titles. Malaysia remain the most successful team in the history of the tournament with five titles.

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