JOIN USIndia rip apart Ghana
India women breezed to a commanding 13-0 victory over minnows Ghana to kick off their campaign in World Hockey League round-2 in style at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium on a rainy Saturday.
Ghana, a team 17 rungs below India at 30th place, never posed a keen challenge. India played like a superior team, dominating and unflinching in their pursuit of gathering goals, even as persistent rains accompanied by strong wind kept the stands empty.
By half-time India had found the back of the net five times and the second essay only saw the rapid swelling of their scoreline. However, penalty corner conversion will be one area which India would like to reflect upon. They got 11 opportunities this day but could make only four count.
For India, Vandana Katariya (8th, 21st, 48th, 56th) scored four times, with Monika (9th), Deep Grace (18th), Rani (23rd, 33rd), Amandeep Kaur (40th), Jaspreet Kaur (53rd, 57th), Ponam Rani (54th) and Lilima Minz (55th) joining the party.
Vandana opened the scoring by deflecting a pass in from a goalmouth melee and Monika doubled the number within a minute, when she hit from the top of the circle to open the floodgates.
Grace converted their third penalty corner with a flat hit and Vandana struck within three minutes to make it four in a row. An unmarked Rani then made it 5-0 when she received a pass from the left of the backline, slamming home with a backhand, and the verdict was more or less decided when the whistle billowed to indicate the half time.
Like in the first half, most of the action took place in the half of Ghana, who were simply going through the motions. Rani struck within three minutes into the second essay, latching on to the pass from the left flank to sound the board and Amandeep stretched it to seven goals when she pounced on the rebound, off a penalty corner, to drive home.
Vandana, then took her day’s tally to three before Jaspreet Kaur scored with a lofted dragflick, pushing the scoreline to nine goals for India. Ghana were reduced to hapless bystanders and Indians made merry with a barrage of goals, scoring the last five within five minutes.
Results: Malaysia: 8 (Siti Ruhani 7th, Nurul Mansur 10th, Siti Othman 28th, Fatin Mahd Sukri 29th, Silin Fizilla Sylvester 33rd, Norbaini Hashim 37th, Surizan Noh 53rd, Hanis Onn 59th) bt Kazakhstan: 0. Russia: 7 (Irina Osipova 9th, 50th, Ksenia Shamina 11th, Magarita Drepenkina 20th, Marina Fedorova 38th, Anastasiia Reviakina 47th, Olesia Petrova 52nd) bt Singapore: 0.
Poland: 4 (Marlena Rybacha 7th, 58th, Magdalena Zagajska 38th, Joanna Wieloch 46th) bt Thailand: 1 (Kornkanok Sanpoung 45th)
India: 13 (Vandana Katariya 8th, 21st, 48th, 56th, Monika 9th, Deep Grace 18th, Rani 23rd, 33rd, Amandeep Kaur 40th, Jaspreet Kaur 53rd, 57th, Ponam Rani 54th, Lilima Minz 55th) bt Ghana: 0.