KARACHI, 25 September 2004 — Sloppy Pakistan were still good enough to scrape out a 2-1 victory against a resolute India to begin their campaign in the eight-match GT Challenge Test Series with a win here at the Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium yesterday.
Pakistan recorded their seventh straight win over the visitors this year but the victory was far from convincing against a new-look Indian team.
Like India, Pakistan also fielded several players from their junior squad but the scoring chores once again fell on the usual strikers, short corner specialist Sohail Abbas and right winger Rehan Butt.
Playing for the first time on Pakistani soil in five years, India gave their old rivals a scare in front of almost 10,000 fans by going 1-0 ahead as early as in the third minute through Arjun Hallapa.
But Pakistan bounced back through Sohail and Rehan to enjoy a 2-1 halftime advantage but were unable to impress for the majority of the encounter that failed to produce the sort of hockey that one expects a Pakistan-India clash.
Pakistan coach Roelants Oltmans criticized his charges for not playing well. “I have seen better matches,” said the Dutchman taking a swipe at his midfielders for a below average performance. “It was an isolated game for my forwards because they never got enough support from the midfield.”
Oltmans’ Indian counterpart Gerhard Rach was also not pleased with the result though he appeared satisfied with the way his young players performed against a better-rated side in a high pressure situation.
“We were close to beating Pakistan today and that is a good sign,” said the German.
India went ahead when Hallapa scooped the ball in after a short corner shot from skipper Dilip Tirkey rebounded off goalkeeper Salman Akber’s pads. Pakistan brought themselves level when a Kashif Jawwad attempt at the goal got them their first short corner and Sohail Abbas, carrying a calf injury in the match, flicked the ball with a lightning speed, to make it 1-1 in the 17th minute.
Pakistan made it 2-1 when Rehan scored a spectacular goal on an assist from Ghazanfar Ali. Rehan’s first attempt was stopped by D’Souza but the Lahore player put the ball in with a soft touch off a rebound.
Pakistan got two more short corners late in the first session but D’Souza thwarted both attempts.
That the rest period during the previous few weeks that followed a hectic summer had its toll on the Pakistani players was evident in the second session. The rather rusty Pakistanis appeared tired and rarely managed to create real scoring chances in the second session.
India got two scoring chances in the first ten minutes of the second half but a Vikram Pillay shot was too high and a Dilip Tirkey short corner strike was blocked by Salman Akber.
Rehan Butt found himself in a perfect position to make it 3-1 but his powerful shot went right into D’Souza’s pads.
India came close to earning the elusive equalizer five minutes from the hooter but striker Sandeep Michael, attempting a backhander, failed to get hold of his shot just a few feet away from the Pakistani goalpost.
The two teams will now fly to Quetta for the second Test to be played on Sept. 27.
