Women's FIH Pro League 2021-22 | Team India starts with solid 7-1 win over China

02/01/2022

On Monday, Team India beat China 7-1 at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat, Oman, to get off to a winning start in the Women's FIH Pro League 2021-22. Sushila Chanu scored two penalties, while Navneet Kaur, Gurjit Kaur, Vandana Katariya, Neha, and Sharmila Devi each scored one.

With the win, the Indian women's hockey team climbed to third place in the FIH Pro League standings, with three points and a plus-six goal differece. India, making their FIH Pro League debut, got off to a flying start, scoring their first goal in the fifth minute. From within the circle, Navneet Kaur hit the net.

From then on, the Indian hockey team controlled the tempo of the game, although a rare circle penetration by China in the 10th minute earned them the game's first penalty corner.

Savita Punia, the Indian captain, and goalie managed to halt the onslaught.

The ladies in blue kept piling on the pressure, going deep into the Chinese circle multiple times and were rewarded in the 12th minute with their second goal. India led 2-0 at the end of the first quarter as Neha extended the advantage with a close-range shot.

The Indian team, led by Janneke Schopman, launched a flurry of assaults in the second quarter as well, but they squandered at least three simple opportunities.

China regained their footing as the game went, but India's tenacious defence ensured that the scoreline remained unchanged at halftime.

India failed to convert a penalty corner and the ensuing rebound after the interval. But they made amends in the 40th minute when Vandana Katariya's superb reverse shot struck the back of the net.

Despite being up 3-0, the Indian defence was put to the test on a frequent basis by China, who finally broke through with Xue Deng blasting one in from the right side to make it 3-1 at the end of the third quarter.

The fourth quarter, on the other hand, was all India, as the squad scored three field goals and converted three penalty shots in a five-minute stretch.

Following Sushila Chani's conversion of the first penalty shot in the 47th minute, Sharmila Devi scored again in the following minute with a clever tap-in to increase India's advantage to 5-1.

China subsequently fouled Indian players twice more in the striking circle, and Gurjit Kaur and Sushila Chanu made no mistakes in defeating Chinese keeper Li Xinhuan, bringing the game to a 7-1 conclusion.

India will face China again at the same site on Tuesday.