Sat, 24 Aug 2013 15:15:00 GMT | By PTI
India crush Oman 8-0 in Asia Cup opener
India was off to a flying start in the 9th Asia Cup with an emphatic 8-0 win over Oman in their Pool B match
Ipoh: India blanked minnows Oman 8-0 to start their 9th Asia Cup hockey championship campaign on a perfect note at the Sultan Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh on Saturday.
The Indian team indulged in a 'goal-fest' as they scored four apiece on either side of the break.
For the winners, Mandeep Singh (4th minute, 40th) and debutant forward Ramandeep Singh (17th, 44th) struck twice, while, V R Raghunath (28th), Rupinderpal Singh (34th), Malak Singh (47th) and SK Uthappa (69th) sounded the board once.
Knowing fully well that winning the Asia Cup would guarantee a place in next year's World Cup at The Hague, Netherlands, the Indians meant business from the onset and concentrated mainly on building formations.
The Indians were expected to control the proceedings against Oman and they did exactly that as the play was mostly centred around the Oman half.
After starting on a rather casual note, the Indians soon tightened up their grip over Oman and mounted continuous raids.
In the opening half, majority of India's build ups came from the right flank with Ramandeep Singh and Malak Singh combining well.
But penalty corner conversion still seems to be a worry for India as they utilised just two out of the six that came their way in the entire duration of 70 minutes.
The Indians earned their first penalty corner as early as in the third minute but Rupinderpal's flick was saved by Oman goalkeeper Al Noufali Fahad Khamis Salmeen. But an opportunistic Mandeep scored from the resultant rebound to give India a 1-0 lead.