THE KOREANS DID FIGHT BACK IN THE SECOND HALF AND SCORED TWO GOALS IN QUICK SUCCESSION, BUT THE INDIANS CAME BACK EVEN STRONGER - INDIA HAVE REMAINED UNBEATEN AND ANOTHER GOALFEST IS LIKELY AGAINST SRI LANKA ON TUESDAY. PAKISTAN PLAY MALAYSIA IN A POOL B MATCH IN JUST A WHILE - WHICH WILL DECIDE THE SEMIFINAL LINE UP
THE INDIANS STUNNED THE KOREANS BY EARNING A PC - WHICH LEAD TO A STROKE IN THE VERY FIRST MINUTE - RUPINDER NEVER MISSES THOSE - CHINGLENSANA TOPPLED OVER WITH AN OUTSTRETCHED STICK TO DIRECT A SUPERB DEFLECTION IN - LALIT'S GOAL (PLEASE DO WATCH IT) RESEMBLED A TENNIS (OR BADMINTON) SHOT WITH A FLAT STICK IN THE AIR TO TAP A SCOOP IN - MANPREET TOOK A POWERFUL REVERSE TO SOUND THE BOARDS FROM THE EDGE OF THE CIRCLE - AKASHDEEP STOOD AND DELIVERED AS IF HE WAS PRACTISING IN HIS BACKYARD - WHAT A PERFORMANCE FROM HARENDRA'S SIDE
WHAT DO THE STATS TELL US??? THE INDIANS HAD 16 SHOTS ON GOAL - THE KOREANS 13. THE INDIANS EARNED 5 PCs- CONVERTED NONE (BUT EARNED A STROKE AS A RESULT OF A PC WHICH THEY SCORED FROM). THE KOREANS EARNED 6 PCs - AND CONVERTED 2
LADIES AND GENTS - FORGET THE CHAMPIONS TROPHY - WE HAVE WITNESSED A FANTASTIC GAME OF HOCKEY AT JAKARTA - FOR THE FIRE IN THE INDIANS - FOR LALIT'S SHOT THAT FEDERER (OR MAYBE PV SINDHU) WOULD HAVE BEEN PROUD OF - FOR KOREA'S AMAZING COMEBACK - FOR AKASHDEEP'S MESMERIZING SKILL - FOR MANPREET'S SCORCHING REVERSE - HOCKEY AT IT'S VERY BEST WAS ON OFFER TODAY
55' THIS MAN AKASHDEEP - HAS TALENT - THAT DEFIES LOGIC - STOPS THE BALL IN THE CIRCLE - SHIFTS - TAKES A REVERSE HIT - GOAL - JUST LIKE THAT- AFTER SHIFTING LIKE A PIVOT!!
54' YET AGAIN, THE BALL ENTERS THE NET AFTER THE REFEREE HAS BLOWN A WHISTLE FOR A FREE HIT - BUT, WHY IS THE REFEREE REFUSING TO PLAY THE ADVANTAGE RULE???
49' WE ARE WITNESSING A HUMDINGER - LALIT ADVANCES - IS DISPOSSESSED - KOREA LAUNCH A COUNTER - THE INDIANS INTERCEPT - THE KOREANS ARE BACK - NOW ADVANCE PATIENTLY!!!
A SCINTILLATING SCORCHING RUN BY AKASHDEEP ACROSS HALF THE PITCH - HIS PASS FINDS MANPREET - WHO SHIFTS - TAKES A STUPENDOUS SHOT ON THE REVERSE FROM THE EDGE OF THE CIRCLE
DO NOT MISS THE LAST FIFTEEN MINUTES - THIS MATCH HAS COME TO LIFE- "SHIFT AND TRAP IN FRONT" SAYS CHRIS CIRIELLO TO HIS BOYS - TO COUNTER THE MAN-TO-MARKING
36' The Indians attempt to settle down and carry on - the Koreans are on fire - as they come away again - a turnover by the Indians - but the Korean marking is sharper too
THE INDIANS GOT GOING IN THE VERY FIRST MINUTE AND STUNNED THE KOREANS WITH THEIR SPEED AND INTENSITY - RUPINDER SCORED WITH A STROKE, CHINGLENSANA DELIVERED A BEAUTY OF A DEFLECTION - AND LALIT'S GOAL - CAN HARDLY BE DESCRIBED IN WORDS - A TENNIS FOREHAND SHOT IN THE AIR OFF A LONG SCOOPED BALL
WELL, WELL, - NOT EVEN THE BEST DEFENSIVE SIDE IN JAKARTA CAN FIND A WAY TO STOP HARENDRA'S BOYS FROM SCORING!!! A PENALTY STROKE, A DELFLECTION, AND AN AERIAL DEFLECTION - THE GOALS JUST KEEP COMING!!!
28' For the third time today, the Indians play a long scooped pass into the Korean circle - looks like they have been saving thiis new-found skill just for the Korea match!!!!