India continued their winning run in the Asian Champions Trophy, defeating Japan 4-1 to register their third consecutive victory in the tournament.
Abhishek led India’s scoring with two goals, while captain Harmanpreet Singh and Vishnukant added one each. The victory came after a challenging contest against a disciplined Japanese defence.
India opened the scoring through Abhishek, who was featuring in his 150th international match. However, Japan responded with a penalty stroke to bring the score level.
The match remained closely contested for the next two quarters, with India finding it difficult to break through Japan’s defensive setup. Harmanpreet eventually converted a penalty corner in the third quarter to restore India’s lead.
India then stepped up their attacking efforts in the final quarter, scoring twice more to seal a convincing 4-1 victory.
With three wins from three matches, India have also defeated Bangladesh and China in the competition. Head coach Craig Fulton and his team will now look to address the areas that need improvement before their next fixture on November 1.
