Kuala Lumpur
Riding on Vandana Katariya’s brace, India overpowered hosts Malaysia 3-0 in the in the first match of the five-match bi-lateral Women Hockey Series in KualaLumpur on Thursday.
As per the information received here, Striker Vandana Katariya gave India the lead in the 17th minute and sealed the match in her team’s favoure by scoring another goal in the 60th minute.In between Lalremsiami chipped in with a goal in the 38th minute.
Malaysia made the first move earning a penalty corner in the 3rd minute however it was well-saved by an experienced goal keeper and captain Savita .
Two minutes later the visitors made an incisive counter move but Lalremsiami ‘s effort was foiled by the rival defence.
Couple of minutes later Indian forwards made another move but Navneet Kaur could not beat the Malaysian goalkeeper.
With the first quarter ending with a 0-0 stalemate, India made quick amends to an average start as they dented Malaysian defence with a powerful attack that led to a fine goal by experienced striker Vandana Katariya in the 17th minute.
The 1-0 lead brought confidence in the Indian set-up to surge ahead in their attack and the forward line went about taking their chances in the striking circle, attempting shots on goal one after the other. Though none converted, the pressure was mounting on Malaysian defenders.
India playing to good structure controlled the proceedings in the third quarter too. They kept the Malaysian attack in check and an under-pressure Malaysian defence gave away PCs after making infringements in the circle. Though three PCs awarded to India back-to-back went in vain, India converted their second goal in the 38th minute via young striker Lalremsiami.
The 2-0 lead put India in a comfortable position ahead of the fourth quarter. The Indian team remained calm in their approach, played disciplined game and did not allow errors in the final quarter. They increased the lead to 3 -0 in 60th minute via striker Vandana’s goal with precision and ensured Malaysia didn’t create scoring opportunities.