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India completed a 4-0 drubbing of arch-rivals Pakistan, to make it into the final of the Hockey Asia Cup 2017, where they are set to face Malaysia, at the Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Sunday.
The Indians have been on fine form, and they are yet to be beaten in the six matches they have played in the Asia Cup, so far.
In the final, the Men in Blue face a sturdy Malaysia side, that has shown that they can come up with the goods against top opposition, on their day. They have beaten Asian giants South Korea and Pakistan in the group stage and the Super 4s respectively, while earning a late draw against the Koreans on Saturday, to book their spot in the summit clash of the tournament.
India and Malaysia have squared off against each other once in this tournament so far, in the Super 4 stage, when the Men in Blue won by an emphatic margin of 6-2.
The Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka experienced torrential downpours on Saturday, leading to the last round of matches being delayed by a few hours. The Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium experienced heavy waterlogging for a few hours.
However, there seems little danger of rain playing spoilsport ahead of Sunday’s matches. While there could be some cloud cover over the city on Sunday, torrential downpours are not expected.
India, who have won the Hockey Asia Cup twice so far, will be looking to notch up their third continental title, a feat that will level them up with Pakistan.
The Men in Blue, who have played some scintillating hockey under coach Sjoerd Marijne, will look to captain Manpreet Singh for inspiration, as the defender leads them from the back, along with Amit Rohidas, and the iconic Sardar Singh, who has reveled in his new position in defence.
The midfield has done a fine job so far in this tournament, with the likes of Chinglensana Singh and Harmanpreet Singh working hard to dominate possession, and help India dictate the run of play.
Meanwhile, India’s attack is set to be manned by the likes of Lalit Upadhyay, Ramandeep Singh, and Akashdeep Singh, all of whom have terrorized opposition defences in this tournament so far.
India vs Malaysia match details:
Where to watch: Star Sports
Live Streaming: Hotstar
Time: 5pm IST
