KUALA LUMPUR, 2 June 2005 — Pakistan lived dangerously before recording a narrow 3-2 triumph over traditional rivals India in the 14th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup here at the National Hockey Stadium yesterday.
The Pakistanis seemed to be cruising to a comfortable victory after conjuring up a solid 3-0 lead at halftime but the match lived up to expectations when India made a stunning fight back to give their higher-rated rivals a huge scare in the dying moments of the thrilling encounter.
Playing in front of the biggest crowd of the tournament yet, Pakistan produced three superb goals in the opening session but let their grip on the match slip in the second half.
Deepak Thakur and Dandeep Micheal brought India back in the game within a span of just three minutes after Adnan Zakir, Rehan Butt and Akhtar Ali had put Pakistan in a commanding position.
“Our boys forgot the game plan in the second half,” said Pakistani coach Tahir Zaman. “They took a 3-0 lead and then began trying outshining each other. The Indian fightback must have been a lesson for them,” he added.
Indian coach Rajinder Singh (Jr.) said that his team did well to comeback in the match after conceding a 0-3 lead. “They didn’t play well in the first half but fought back later which is a good sign,” said the coach who is at the helm of a young Indian team.
The result helped Pakistan retain their pole position on the points’ table with 13 points and the former champions just need a draw against Malaysia to be sure of a place in this Sunday’s final.
India, on the other hand, are now likely to play in the playoff for the fifth place unless they spring a surprise against Olympic champions Australia tomorrow.
Pakistan made it 1-0 when winger Adnan Zakir scored off an indirect short corner set-piece in the eighth minute. The score-line read 2-0 just three minutes later when Rehan Butt, continuing his prolific run against India, put the ball in an unguarded post on an assist from experienced winger Shabbir Hussain.
Pakistan continued to pile up more misery for India when they made it 3-0 through rookie winger Akhtar Ali in the 29th minute.
Enjoying a seemingly winning 3-0 lead, Pakistan let complacency creep in within their ranks as India staged a remarkable recovery in the second session.
The Indian comeback started in the 50th minute when seasoned striker Deepak Thakur made it 1-3 off a short corner rebound. The second Indian goal came just three minutes through young centre-forward Sandeep Micheal.
India forced a brace of short corners in the last seven minutes but Pakistani goalie Salman Akbar was at his brilliant best to the relief of a worried Pakistani team management.
Earlier, titleholders Australia underlined their status as the reigning Olympic champions with an 8-3 drubbing of tournament minnows South Africa.
Apparently looking to improve their goal average, the Aussies went on a goal-scoring spree against the South Africans and recorded their third win in five matches.
World Player-of the-Year Jamie Dwyer struck twice in the big Aussie win that has improved the top seeds’ points total to 11, leaving them just one step away from a second consecutive Azlan Shah Cup final.
New Zealand kept their medal hopes alive with a 3-1 victory over hosts Malaysia.
The Kiwis fought off a stiff resistance from the Malaysians, scoring twice within six minutes in the second half to record their second win in the seven-nation tournament. The New Zealanders now have seven points from their five matches and are in a good position to qualify for the playoff for the third position.
