India decimate Pakistan to lift Junior Asia hockey Cup

Indian colts started the game on a positive note, and were in complete control of the first half. Ten minutes in, Harmanpreet Singh scored a scintillating first goal by converting a penalty corner. A couple of minutes later, India procured another penalty corner but failed to double the lead. In the fifteenth minute, Harmanpreet converted another penalty corner with a scorcher of a strike to make it 2-0.

Pakistani pulled one back when Muhammad Yakoob nudged the ball into goal, off a rebound from a penalty corner, in the 28th minute. Muhammad Khalid was brought in place of Ali Haider at the Pakistan goal to pre-empt an Indian mayhem, which has been a regular affair at the event. The move, however, failed to make an impact as another penalty corner was smartly converted by Harmanpreet, who registered his second hat-trick of the tournament. India clearly dominated the game as they enjoyed a possession of 54% in the first half.

The second half started with both the teams missing a few chances, but India soon got back into action as Armaan Qureshi scored a marvelous field goal in the 44th minute of the match. Manpreet Jr. also joined the party when the Pakistani defence failed to clear the ball, and he struck the ball hard to net the fifth goal for India. At the other end, India goalie Vikas Dahiya made a good save off a penalty corner in the 50th minute to deny Pakistan a second goal.

Harmanpreet was back in the fray soon, and struck his 4th goal in the 53rd minute off a penalty corner to take the score to 6-1. Two minutes before the end of the match, Muhammad Dilber gave Pakistan minor consolation with a second goal.

India had finished 3rd in the last edition of the tournament, but were unbeaten in this year's tournament with a great run to the final. The boys in blue completed a 6-1 rout of Japan in the semi-final, before which they had thrashed Oman 9-0 in the quarter-final.

India and Pakistan are now tied with three titles each in the tournament's history and are joint-leaders for the most number of titles.