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A one-sided goal fest was the hallmark of India's opener, and if Harendra Singh's words are anything to go by, we may be in for an ever bigger conquest today. "We should have broken the record by a huge margin," laments the Indian coach referring to his boys equalling Pakistan's 17-0 win over Bangladesh in 1978.
Sreejesh had little to do against the Indonesians but witnessed his boys creating history up front, and the next match against Hong Kong China may be no different. South Korea had beaten Hong Kong 11-0 in their opener and the Indians will no doubt seek to exceed that margin when they take on the island nation in their second pool match.
The biggest positive for the Indians was the fact that their drag-flickers were on target against the hosts, and look to be on course for bigger exploits as the tournament progresses. Rupinder Pal Singh sounded a stern warning to India's adversaries in Jakarta by scoring off a PC in the very first minute, and Amit Rohidas and Harmanpreet too found the back of the net with their power and accuracy.
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It was indeed heartening that the Indians kept their foot on the accelerator for the entire duration of the match and refused to sit back and indulge in possession play in spite of enjoying a massive lead. The quick short passes which Harendra's boys used to good effect were also a delight to watch.
Krishan Pathak replaced Sreejesh in goal after the long breather, and although the youngster did not see much action, it must have done his confidence some good to get a feel of being on the pitch in a major tournament.
The Indian defence has yet to be tested and it that is unlikely to change as Hong Kong failed to earn a single PC in their match against South Korea and was also unable to get any shots on goal.
As a result, the defenders will be expected to advance and attack a lot more just as they did in the opener and a bonanza is definitely on the cards for all Indian hockey fans.
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Event: Asian Games 2018
Venue: Jakarta, Indonesia
Date: 22 August 2018
Time: 12:30 pm Indian Standard Time (IST)
Telecast: Sony ESPN, Sony Ten 2, Ten 2 HD, Sony ESPN HD
Live Streaming: Sony Liv
Live Updates: Sportskeeda
