Indians get it right this time

MELBOURNE, April 15: India brushed up their traditional weak area by slamming two penalty corner goals and subdue tricky rivals Argentina 2-...

MELBOURNE, April 15: India brushed up their traditional weak area by slamming two penalty corner goals and subdue tricky rivals Argentina 2-1 in the first match of the second leg in the Colorado Cup hockey tournament here today.

Bouncing back from two successive defeats, including a 2-5 reverse against Australia in the final match of the first leg in Sydney, India controlled a defence-oriented game and looked good to score many more than they eventually did.

Seasoned full back Anil Aldrin opened the scoring in the 25th minute and nippy forward Rajesh Chauhan made it 2-0 in the 38th minute off another penalty corner before Pablo Lombi reduced the margin in the 67th minute, reports AAP.

Australia thrashed winless New Zealand 6-3 for their fourth straight win to maintain top status in the chart.

Smarting from a 0-2 reverse against the robust Latin American rivals in Sydney, India planned their revenge win better in the first match at the State Sports Centre.

Aldrin, the penalty corner expert till hewent out of the national team and returned for this event as many players have been rested, showed his skill by hoisting the first-half lead.

Chauhan enhanced the leeway three minutes into the second-half and India, who controlled the match well, ought to have scored more. Their rivals attacked hard in the final stages but India defended well and goalkeeper Jagdish Ponnappa also came up with many good saves today.

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8220;We had to win today to be in the running for the tournament,8221; said coach V Baskaran after the win.

8220;We started cautiously and really put on a lot of power in the second half,8217; said Baskaran, who was particularly impressed with goalkeeper Jagdish Ponnappa.

India had managed only one win from the opening three days of the round- robin tournament in Sydney.

Australia followed up their big 5-2 win over India by overwhelming New Zealand 6-3 to show the kind of form coach Terry Walsh is looking for in their World Cup campaign at Utrect in the Netherlands next month.

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Striker Stephen Davies12th, 36th, 57th min bagged his first hat-trick of the tournament and livewire forward Baeden Choppy 40th, 67th also scored twice for Australia, who clinched a spot in the Sunday final.

Ken Robinson 69th, 69th struck twice in the dying minutes after Ryan Archibald had struck the 17th minute first-half equaliser to enable the Kiwis be locked 1-1 at half-time.