Asian Hockey Champions Trophy, as it happened: India top table with a 9-0 win against Japan

INDIA THRASH JAPAN 9-0! India were the favourites heading into the game and boy! the men in blue exceeded expectations with a resounding win over the Asian Games gold medal winners! They have three wins in three games and are atop the table.They are looking good to realise their aim of finishing atop the podium here. Clinical performance.

Fourth quarter (2 minutes to go), India 9-0 Japan: Japan’s scrambling to contain the Indian attack. This will be one of their biggest margins of defeat against the men in blue.

Fourth quarter (4 minutes to go), India 9-0 Japan: Ho ho ho, Mandeep ‘goalpoacher’ Singh slots in skipper Manpreet’s cross from the left flank. India will try and score one more to make it 10.

Fourth quarter (6 minutes to go), India 8-0 Japan: The pace of the game has lowered a bit. But the possession’s still with the Indians. Japan, it seems, are happy just not to concede anymore goals.

Fourth quarter (10 minutes to go), India 8-0 Japan: Japan’s first Penalty Corner. They miss. Yamada’s flick goes wide. ‘Keeper Pathak doesn’t have to worry too much.

Fourth quarter (11 minutes to go), India 8-0 Japan: Fifth Penalty Corner for India. They have converted two of the four chances they got. AND THEY CONVERT THE FIFTH ONE TOO! Harmanpreet strikes the ball. It rebounds off the keeper. But Mandeep deflects it into the Japanese net. India lead 8-0!

Fourth quarter (13 minutes to go), India 7-0 Japan: A cautious start by Japan. They are holding on to the ball, slowly building on an attack. But they will now play to limit the damage. India, meanwhile, will look to pile on more goals.

End of third quarter, GOAL! At the end of the penultimate quarter, Lalit Upadhyay scores India’s seventh goal, thanks to a great pass by Surender Kumar. Safe to say they have pocketed this match. Can they make it 10 in the next quarter?

Third quarter (3 minutes to go), India 6-0 Japan: GOAL! Akashdeep feeds the ball inside the circle to Kothajit, who’s unmarked. The latter finds the perfect angle to slot in India’s sixth goal.

Third quarter (5 minutes to go), India 5-0 Japan: Even with 10 men, India are the ones who are on the attack. Japan are still trying to stop the Indian onslaught.

Third quarter (8 minutes to go), India 5-0 Japan: Oh dear! Dilpreet Singh picks up a yellow card. India are down to 10 men for the next five minutes. Good chance for Japan to score one. Time’s running out for them.

Third quarter (10 minutes to go), India 5-0 Japan: GOAL! A goalmouth melee. Nilakanta makes a great move and sends the ball to Akashdeep, who’s surrounded by a flurry of Japanese defenders in the goalmouth but he somehow slots in India’s fifth goal. This is superb stuff by India.

Third quarter (13 minutes to go), India 4-0 Japan: PENALTY CORNER! But India fails to convert that one. Harmanpreet’s flick is saved this time around - Takashi Yoshikawa does well to get his gloves on the ball in time.

END OF SECOND QUARTER, India 4-0 Japan: It’s largely been a one-sided contest so far. Japan tried breaching the Indian circle in the last minute of the second quarter. But that’s as far as they could go. India have constantly attacked Japan and have four goals to show. They are sitting pretty well in this round robin contest. Japan need something special to turn this around.

Second quarter (3 minutes to go), India 4-0 Japan: Varun Kumar makes a dangerous run into the circle, passes it to Mandeep in front of the Japanese goal. But there are way too many defenders for the latter to clear. Japan thwart the danger.

Second quarter (5 minutes to go), India 4-0 Japan: Japan have made no circle entries so far in the game. And, India have made 7. Tells you the story of this match so far. The Asian Games champs are struggling to stop the Indian juggernaut.

Second quarter (9 minutes to go), India 4-0 Japan: Third penalty corner for India! Harmanpreet converts it score his second goal of the night. India go 4-0 up. They are dominating this game.

Second quarter (10 minutes to go), India 3-0 Japan: Sumit gets a green card. India are down to 10 men. Can Japan take advantage of this situation?

Second quarter (13 minutes to go), India 3-0 Japan: GOAL! Another one for India. Japan, scrambling to stop India, concedes a penalty. Harmanpreet has no problem converting it. He triples India’s lead.

First quarter (1 minute to go), India 2-0 Japan: Drama! Goalmouth melee. Mandeep tries to score off a deflection but the Japanese defence, after a scramble, clears it away. Good job by the ‘keeper.

First quarter (4 minutes to go), India 2-0 Japan: India have the possession. They are making more circle entries as well. They have clearly been the better side in this first quarter.

First quarter (7 minutes to go), India 2-0 Japan: Harmanpreet Singh unleashes a superb shot in India’s first penalty corner. It rebounds off the goalkeeper and Gurjant, who’s next to him, slots in India’s second goal.

First quarter (8 minutes to go), India 1-0 Japan: MISS! Yamasaki couldn’t get a stick on ball, he misses scoring an equaliser for Japan at the goalmouth. India have been the more aggressive team in the contest so far.

First quarter (10 minutes to go), India 1-0 Japan: India take an early lead through a superb counterattacking goal through Lalit Upadhyay.

10:37 pm Surendar Kumar’s playing his 100th match and goalkeeper Sreejesh his 200th. The teams are getting ready for the national anthem.

10:30 pm Hello and welcome to the live blog of India versus Japan. After brushing aside Oman and a rousing victory over arch-rivals Pakistan, the men in blue face the Asian Games champion. Last time the two teams met was at the Asian Games with India winning the tie. Japan, however, went on to win the gold medal. Coach Harendra Singh has been insistent on the team dominating the opponents and winning the final here to prepare for the World Cup. Let’s see what’s in store for the men in blue tonight.