New Delhi: Captain and drag-flick specialist Harmanpreet Singh struck a hat-trick as defending champions India thrashed Bangladesh 10-0 in their final Pool A match at Kakamigahara, Japan, to finish at the top of the pool with five consecutive victories.
India had already secured a place in the semi-finals before the match. They will now face arch-rivals Pakistan in the semi-final on Thursday, October 1.
Abhishek opened the scoring in the third minute with a powerful reverse hit from the right side of the circle. However, India suffered a setback shortly before the end of the first quarter when Abhishek was forced off with a muscle strain and was not risked for the remainder of the match.
Jugaraj Singh converted a penalty stroke after Bangladesh defender Amirul Islam was struck on the goal line, before Harmanpreet doubled India’s advantage from the second penalty corner.
Sukhjeet Singh added a field goal early in the third quarter, while Harmanpreet scored twice more through penalty-corner opportunities to complete his hat-trick.
Shilanand Lakra scored twice, while Sanjay and Mandeep Singh also found the net as India completed a comprehensive 10-0 victory.
Sukhjeet played an important role in creating attacking opportunities after Abhishek’s departure, while India’s penalty-corner execution proved decisive throughout the contest.
