India rally to beat Scotland 4-1 in HWL semis

TIL Desk Sports/ India conceded a surprise early goal but made a fine comeback by pumping in four quick goals to beat minnows Scotland 4-1 in their opening match of Hockey World League semi-finals in London, on Thursday. Scotland captain Chris Grassick struck as early as the sixth minute to stun the Indians who trailed 0-1 till the end of the first two quarters.

However, India staged a great recovery and scored four times in the third quarter to run away with full points in the Pool B match. Ramandeep Singh (31st, 34th), Akashdeep Singh (40th), Harmanpreet Singh (42nd) were the goal scorers for India.

The first quarter belonged to the underdogs Scotland who displayed good attacking skills to put India on the backfoot. They held on to the ball possession for a greater part of the first quarter keeping the Indians in the hunt.

India did well in the final quarter to defend their lead, denying any opportunity for the Scottish players to score. India’s young goalkeeper Akash Chikte too held his nerve to ensure India walked away with a 4-1 win. India play their next Pool B match on June 17 against Canada.