That’s it from us. See you on Thursday for India’s match against Indonesia, at 1700 hrs IST.
“First two quarters were very tough because we didn’t get into any rhythm. We got better in the last two quarters but didn’t create many chances,” said Birendra Lakra, the India captain.
This is a young, hard-working and energeting Indian team. But perhaps far too inexperienced to stand up to a disciplined Japanese team. The 5-2 loss here makes it almost certain that India will not progress to the Super 4 stage of the contest. They’ll have to hope Japan beats Pakistan by a heavy margin, and India beats Indonesia by an even greater margin to have any chance.
Yet regardless, there’s still more experience for the youngsters to gain, as they play Indonesia next on Thursday, and then they’ll play in the 5th to 8th place classification matches.
And that’s that.
Q4 - India 2-5 Japan: Nilam Sanjeep takes it but Takashi Yoshikawa makes a good diving save.
Q4 - India 2-5 Japan: PC for India.
Q4 - India 2-5 Japan: GOAL FOR JAPAN! Japan running away with it now. Kosei Kawabe charges into the Indian circle on the break, he plays a weak shot and it’s saved but the rebound comes to him again and he slots him for his second of the match.
Q4 - India 2-4 Japan: GOAL FOR JAPAN! Koji Yamasaki gets to the end of a cross to tap home Japan’s fourth into an empty net.
Q4 - India 2-3 Japan: India down to 9 men on the field now as Selvam Karthi gets a yellow card.
Q4 - India 2-3 Japan: Green card for Pawan Rajbhor, who has been among the more lively players for India in this quarter. Just over 7 minutes left.
Q4 - India 2-3 Japan: Very clever variation by India, the ball is played back to the injector Pawan Rajbhor, but the Japanese defence is alert and quick to clear the danger.
Q4 - India 2-3 Japan: Penalty corner for India, their first of the match.
Q4 - India 2-3 Japan: GOAL FOR INDIA! Indians hit back immediately. Pawan Rajbhor outmuscles the Japanese defence to push the ball towards goal, where Uttam Singh is at hand to tap home.
Q4 - India 1-3 Japan: GOAL FOR JAPAN! India put more bodies into the Japanese half in search for the equaliser, but get dispossessed. Japan on the break as a ball is played forward from their own half to Ryosei Kato. Japan two on one against Suraj Karkera. Kato squares a pass to Ryomo Ooka who finishes into the empty net.
The fourth quarter starts. Can India get back into this match and rescue hopes of making it to the second round of the Asia Cup?
That’s it for the third quarter.
Q3 - India 1-2 Japan: GOAL FOR INDIA! Pawan Rajbhar is there at the right place at the right time. Birendra Lakra slaps a ball forward - more out of frustration perhaps - and Pawan Rajbhar is there in the circle to deflect it past the Japanese goalkeeper to put India on the scoresheet, with just a few seconds left in the quarter.
Q3 - India 0-2 Japan: Kawabe almost gets his second and Japan’s third. A slapped ball from the left comes in, he’s unmarked and just needs a touch but his diving effort is just short.
Q3 - India 0-2 Japan: GOAL FOR JAPAN! Kosei Kawabe collects a pass from midfield and charges into the shooting circle. He’s at a tight angle on the right with Indian defenders putting pressure on him. But through flashy stickwork, he turns back to his own half, then turns again to the Indian goal and flicks the ball through the legs of Karkera from a tight angle.
Q3 - India 0-1 Japan: India makes a referral, and it’s successful. No PC for Japan.
Q3 - India 0-1 Japan: Ryosei Kato takes the shot but it’s deflected off the first runner and goes well over. The referee deems it a high-ball and awards another PC to Japan.
Q3 - India 0-1 Japan: Penalty corner for Japan. Mazy run from Ryoma Ooka on the right finds the leg of an Indian defender.
Q3 - India 0-1 Japan: Another chance for India. Ball slapped in from the right, SV Sunil is there, gets a deflection but it floats safely wide.
Q3 - India 0-1 Japan: Glorious chance to equalise wasted. A pass somehow makes its way from the right, through a sea of Japanese defenders, and falls kindly to Uttam Singh who just has to make a connection in front of an open goal. But he misses it.
And we’re off again.
The Indians sent a fresh team - 12 players made their international debut yesterday - for this tournament with the motive of them getting to play against quality opposition and gain experience. Japan is providing just that. The East Asian team has been a well-oiled unit, attacking in numbers and defending with composure. The game had been a midfield tussle in the first quarter, but started to open up in the second. India too has created a few chances but still been unable to get the final finish. So far, it’s just Ken Nagayoshi’s well taken penalty corner that separates the two teams at half-time.
That’s it for the first half.
Q2 - India 0-1 Japan: India almost get a goal out of nowhere. Nilam Sanjeep Xess plays the ball into the circle to Raj Kumar Pal, who plays a snapshot that goes just wide of the goal.
Q2 - India 0-1 Japan: India almost hit back immediately. Excellent run from SV Sunil on the right, plays a cross in and Selvam Karthi misses the ball on an open goal from point blank range.
Q2 - India 0-1 Japan: GOAL FOR JAPAN! Powerful low drive by Ken Nagayoshi that neatly nestles into the bottom right corner of the goal. Karkera tries to save with a full split but can’t get anywhere near the shot.
Q2 - India 0-0 Japan: And another penalty corner for Japan, the third of this match and second of this quarter.
Q2 - India 0-0 Japan: Yoshiki Kirishita with a strong drag-flick, but it’s comfortably over the crossbar.
Q2 - India 0-0 Japan: Stick check by Dipsan Tirkey. Penalty corner for Japan.
Q2 - India 0-0 Japan: Early chance for India within the first 20 seconds. Raj Kumar Pal gets a good shot at goal but it’s comfortably saved by Takashi Yoshikawa in the Japanese goal. The rebound falls to Sunil, but he couldn’t get his feet sorted out in time.
Second quarter begins.
End of Q1 - India 0-0 Japan: Been a rather scrappy encounter between the two, as most of the action has been in the midfield area. Both teams have had one good chance at scoring, with Japan getting the PC and India’s SV Sunil just a yard short of getting onto the end of a Selvam Karthi cross.
Q1 - India 0-0 Japan: Ken Nagayoshi gets a hold of the drag-flick - nice strong shot to the right of the goal. But Suraj Karkera dives to his left to get a good stop.
Q1 - India 0-0 Japan: Japan wins the first penalty corner of the day.
Q1 - India 0-0 Japan: Pretty scrappy so far between the two teams, with neither able to get a firm stand in this game so far. 5 minutes left to go in this quarter.
Q1 - India 0-0 Japan: Good chance for India. Excellent work on the left by Karthi Selvam, plays a strong low cross into the centre for SV Sunil. Of all players, the speedy Sunil was a yard short of getting onto that pass.
Q1 - India 0-0 Japan: Japan has dominated the first three minutes of play, creating more chances. India on the backfoot so far, but have been calm in defence.
And they’re off. Japan gets this match underway.
India will have to do much better today than they did yesterday. They did create plenty of chances against Pakistan in the opener, but were wasteful when it came to finishing the moves. Japan won’t be a pushover though - they are the Asian Games champions afterall.
The teams are out for the anthems.
Hello and welcome to Scroll.in’s coverage of men’s hockey Asia Cup 2022. India, led by Birendra Lakra take on Japan today in their second Group Stage encounter in Jakarta.
A new-look India team started their campaign with a draw against Pakistan yesterday. India scored through a penalty corner routine in the ninth minute, through debutant Selvam Karthi, and held onto the lead till the last minute of play. The defending champions will be looking to do much better today.