Pune: India's star players Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma were on Monday named captains of the three teams for the Women's T20 Challenge to be played in Pune from May 23. The BCCI announced 16-member squads for each of three teams -- Harmanpreet-led Supernovas, Mandhana-led Trailblazers and Deepti-led Velocity. Trailblazers had won the previous edition held in 2020. Veteran India cricketers Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami and Shikha Pandey, who all played in the previous edition, are the notable absentees in the squads. A BCCI official said India greats Mithali and Jhulan have been rested. Both were expected to retire after the World Cup earlier this year but are yet to take a call on their future. "Both Mithali and Jhulan have been rested," the official said.A total of 12 overseas players were also announced for the exhibition event including star South African opener Laura Wolvaardt and world number one bowler Sophie Ecclestone. Thai player Natthakan Chantam will make her second appearance in the competition. The only Australian featuring in the line-ups is leg spinner Alana King while the English cricketers include Ecclestone, Sophia Dunkley and Kate Cross. Bangladesh cricketers Salma Khatun and Sharmin Akhter have also been picked. The West Indians include Deandra Dottin and Hayley Matthews. South African captain Sune Luus and Wolvaardt will represent Supernovas and Velocity respectively. The performers in the recently held Senior Women's T20 Trophy have also been rewarded. The tournament's leading run getter K P Navgire and leading wicket-taker Aarti Kedar will play for Velocity. The upcoming edition is expected to be the last one with BCCI planning a full fledged Women's IPL from next year.Squads:Supernovas: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Taniya Bhatia, Alana King, Ayush Soni, Chandu V, *Deandra Dottin, Harleen Deol, Meghna Singh, Monica Patel, Muskan Malik, Pooja Vastrakar, Priya Punia, Rashi Kanojia, Sophie Ecclestone, Sune Luus, Mansi Joshi.Trailblazers: Smriti Mandhana (captain), Poonam Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Hayley Matthews, Jemimah Rodrigues, Priyanka Priyadarshini, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh, Richa Ghosh, S Meghana, Saiqa Ishaque, Salma Khatun, Sharmin Akter, Sophia Brown, Sujata Mallik, SB Pokharkar.Velocity: Deepti Sharma (captain), Sneh Rana, Shafali Verma, Ayabonga Khaka, K.P. Navgire, Kathryn Cross, Keerthi James, Laura Wolvaardt, Maya Sonawane, Natthakan Chantham, Radha Yadav, Aarti Kedar, Shivali Shinde, Simran Bahadur, Yastika Bhatia, Pranavi Chandra.—PTI

India's star players Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma were on Monday named captains of the three teams for the Women's T20 Challenge to be played in Pune from May 23.

Mithali, Jhulan left out of Women's T20 challenge

Pune: Supernovas' triumphant captain Harmanpreet Kaur on Saturday said that her side knew that the Women's T20 Challenge final against Velocity could go down to the wire.In the end, Supernovas beat Velocity by four runs in a tense match to win their third title in four editions. But, it was not an easy win as Laura Wolvaardt threatened to almost single-handedly took Velocity within striking distance of a sensational win, with a blazing 65 not out off 40 balls."My heartbeat was normal," she said when asked about the tense last minutes.English left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone conceded 12 runs in the final over from which Velocity needed 17 to pull off a stunning win."I knew this game was going to be like that only and I was prepared for the game to go down to the wire. Great effort by the girls. We never felt we won the game and we knew anything could happen."Velocity's opening pair of Shafali Verma and Yastika Bhatia made a flying start to their run chase of 166, by scoring 28 off the first two overs but they later suffered a batting collapse before Wolvaardt raised their hopes."First over was not in our favour but I knew if we get two early wickets, match can turn for us. At the right moment we were getting the wickets. When Pooja started, we planned something else, but she wasn't able to bowl what we were thinking. It happens."The way Sophie bowled it was outstanding. She was quite confident. If you have a bowler who is so confident, half the job is done. I was just giving her placement and she was bowling the way she wanted to bowl."When you have teammates who always want to play each and every moment, you do that whether it's in your favour or not."Player of the match as well as player of the tournament, Deandra Dottin, for her 44-ball 62 and two wickets for 28 runs, said she felt good to be a part of this event.Velocity captain Deepti Sharma said if her side had built a partnership in the middle overs, the match would not have come down to the final delivery."Laura (Wolvaardt) batted well and so did Simran. We had the batting strength to win the game the way we played the last two games. We just said 'see the ball, hit the ball'."We performed well but we left some runs out in the middle. The bowlers did well to pull it back after the 16th over.—PTI

Supernovas' triumphant captain Harmanpreet Kaur on Saturday said that her side knew that the Women's T20 Challenge final against Velocity could go down to the wire.

We knew game could go down to the wire: Harmanpreet

New Delhi: The All-India Women's Selection Committee met on Wednesday to pick the squads for India's upcoming tour of Sri Lanka. India will play three T20Is and as many ODIs in Dambulla and Kandy respectively. Harmanpreet Kaur is named India's captain after Mithali Raj's retirement.India's T20I squad:&nbsp;Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia (wk), S Meghna, Deepti Sharma, Poonam Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Simran Bahadur, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh, Jemimah Rodrigues, Radha Yadav. India's ODI squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia (wk), S Meghna, Deepti Sharma, Poonam Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Simran Bahadur, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Harleen Deol. The T20I series will kick-start from June 23 onwards, with three matches set to be played in Dambulla on June 23, June 25 and June 27. The three-match ODI series will kickstart from July 1 in Kandy. Second and third ODIs will be played in Kandy on July 4 and 7.—ANI

The All-India Women's Selection Committee met on Wednesday to pick the squads for India's upcoming tour of Sri Lanka. India will play three T20Is and as many ODIs in Dambulla and Kandy respectively. Harmanpreet Kaur is named India's captain after Mithali Raj's retirement.

Harmanpreet to lead ODI side for SL tour after Mithali's retirement

Birmingham:&nbsp;The Indian men’s hockey team launched its campaign for an elusive gold medal at the Commonwealth Games here by thrashing minnows Ghana 11-0 at the UOB Hockey and Squash Centre here on Sunday.Drag flicker Harmanpreet Singh struck three goals (10′, 25′ and 53′), Jugraj Singh struck a brace (22′ and 43′) while Abhishek (2′), Shamsher Singh (14′), Akashdeep Singh (20′), Nilakanta Sharma (38′), Varun Kumar (39′) and Mandeep Singh (48′) scored a goal apiece as India romped to a big win in their Pool B encounter.India scored three goals in the first quarter and two in the second as they raced to a 5-0 lead at half-time. They added four goals in a productive third quarter before sealing the win with two more goals in the fourth and final quarter.Manpreet Singh’s team dominated possession (57-43 per cent) and made 52 circle penetrations in attack as compared to just eight by Ghana in the one-sided encounter.India is ranked fifth in the world while Ghana, playing in the Commonwealth Games for the first time, are 36th and the big chasm in their standings in world hockey.The Indians also created many chances but were thwarted by the goalkeeper and defenders as Vivek Sagar Prasad, Abhishek, Shamsher Singh, Amit Rohidas and Jugraj Singh missed chances to add more goals to the Indian tally.It was a good opener for India ahead of Monday’s tough encounter against England, the world No 6. India need to win that match against England to maintain their chances of topping the group and avoid running into top seed Australia in the semifinals.–IANS

CWG 2022: Harmanpreet scores three goals as India thrash Ghana 11-0

Rourkela: With just ten days left for the start of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023, the captain of the Indian Men's Hockey Team expressed the mood in the dressing room at the stellar Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium.
As hosts, India is fancied to finish on the podium and the expectations are far greater this time particularly after the team's stupendous performance at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 where they ended a 41-year long wait to stand on the podium again by bagging the Bronze Medal.
"There is anticipation and excitement in equal measure," expressed Harmanpreet. "As the team bus entered the Rourkela city and drove closer to the hockey facility, there were thousands of fans who thronged the streets with tri-colour flags and cheered for us as they welcomed us into their home town. We were simply speechless by the gesture, and it was then that we actually got a sense of how much hockey means to the people of this region," exclaimed the ace dragflicker.
Speaking candidly, Harmanpreet went on to add, "Until we arrived here, we had only heard about the passion and love people have for hockey here through our teammates Nilam and Amit but it was only after we witnessed the reception we received on our arrival, did we realise that this World Cup experience will be like no other."
Starting January 4, international teams will start arriving in Odisha for the coveted tournament. Former runners-up the Netherlands will be the first team to arrive on Wednesday, followed by Chile on Thursday and the defending Champions Belgium arrive on Friday along with the World no.1 Australia among other teams. Each day, until the January 8, hosts Hockey India and Odisha State Government will be welcoming participating teams to the hockey-crazy state, which is hosting its second Hockey World Cup.
"After the World Cup in Kalinga Hockey Stadium in 2018, every single participating team went back with great memories and it was the spectators, the incredible venue, the hospitality, the way everything was executed that made the previous World Cup so special for players. In Rourkela, the atmosphere will be doubly exhilarating and I am eagerly waiting for every team to experience this love people have for hockey. They are not only going to cheer for India, but for every team," Harmanpreet highlighted.
While the newly built Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium readies for a grand opening on January 5 by the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, one can sense the eagerness with which fans are awaiting the start of the tournament. It's imperative to note that tickets for all 20 matches in Rourkela is sold out and in Bhubaneswar, people continue to make a beeline to grab the remaining few tickets up for sale.
"There is already a festive atmosphere here in Rourkela and Bhubaneswar. It's been almost a week since we arrived here and the energy is incredible. We love the peppy World Cup anthem that was launched recently, a country-wide Trophy Tour has got everyone talking about the event and here in Odisha itself, there are so many celebratory events planned around the World Cup that everyone travelling for this event have a chance to witness more than just hockey," expressed Amit Rohidas, the Vice Captain of the team who hails from the Sundergarh region.
Rohidas further emphasised on the team's preparations as he said, "Emotions and excitement aside, we are focused on our goal. This is probably the best chance for us to stand on the podium and surely the expectations have gone up after we won a medal at the Olympic Games." "We are putting in final touches to our game. We have gone about some quality training sessions in the new stadium and will be playing some practice matches once the foreign teams arrive here. In all, we are looking forward to some fantastic days of hockey coming up," Rohidas signed off.—IANS

With just ten days left for the start of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023, the captain of the Indian Men's Hockey Team expressed the mood in the dressing room at the stellar Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium.

FIH World Cup: Indian Dressing Room Brimming With Anticipation And Excitement In Equal Measure: Harmanpreet

East London (South Africa): India won the Women's T20I Tri-Series match against West Indies by a score of 56 runs, with both Smriti Mandhana and captain Harmanpreet Kaur scoring outstanding unbeaten half-centuries.
After winning the toss and deciding to bat first, India got off to a terrific start, reaching 167 for 2 in 20 overs. To pull out a second consecutive victory in the series, they then held their opponents to 111 for four.
Openers Yastika Bhatia and Mandhana put up 33 runs together before Bhatia was out by off-spinner Karishma Ramharack for 18 with only one delivery left in the power play.—Inputs from Agencis

India won the Women's T20I Tri-Series match against West Indies by a score of 56 runs, with both Smriti Mandhana and captain Harmanpreet Kaur scoring outstanding unbeaten half-centuries

Mandhana, Harmanpreet score half-centuries as India win

Rourkela: Four impressive successive wins in Hockey Pro League 2022-2023 home games have helped Indian men's hockey jump to the fourth place in the latest FIH World Ranking but for captain Harmanpreet Singh it doesn't matter much to his team as players prioritise to convert their chances and create pressure on the opposition team rather than thinking about rankings.

After a hat-trick of wins, the Indian team remained unbeaten as they put up a resilient performance against Australia in the last home game in the FIH Hockey Pro League, registering a 2-2 (4-3 SO) win, here on Wednesday night.

Before this, India beat reigning World Champions Germany 3-2 and 6-3 followed by a 5-4 win against Australia, in their last game.

India's outstanding feat in Rourkela has put them on top of the pool standing in the FIH Hockey Pro League. The team now leads the chart with 19 points from eight matches and are ahead of Spain, which have 17 points from eight games, followed by Argentina in the third position with 13 points from 12 games. Reigning World Champions Germany have been pushed to no.4 in the pool standing with 11 points after 8 matches.

The result has also helped India climb up the FIH World Ranking, having beaten teams ranked higher than them. India was ranked no.6 when they began their campaign at home, while Germany was ranked No.1 and Australia ranked No.4, ahead of this year's Pro League outing. The Indian side is now ranked 4th in the world behind reigning World Champions Germany, which have dropped to 3rd in the recently updated FIH world ranking.

"I think these things (world ranking) don't matter to us so much. We don't keep this in mind when we play. Our only priority was to convert our chances and keep the pressure on the opponent. Some of the youngsters who got an opportunity to show their talent also stood up to the occasion and did very well for themselves as well as the team", said Harmanpreet, who is currently the leading goal-scorer in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2022-2023 with 11 goals, ahead of Belgium's Alexander Hendrickx with six goals.

The ace frag-flicker also said that the world's largest-seated Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium is indeed 'lucky' for India as the team has never lost a match here.

"We are happy to keep our record intact here in Rourkela. We haven't lost a single match here in this magnificent stadium. Definitely, the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium is very lucky for us. When you get so much love and encouragement from fans, we want to go out there and win every single game," said skipper Harmanpreet, who scored twice in India's tense shootout victory on Wednesday

Adding to the team's options in the forward line in a crucial year with Olympic qualification at stake, Selvam Karthi and Sukhjeet's performance has been noteworthy. Karthi is now the fourth highest goal-scorer in the FIH Hockey Pro League while Sukhjeet and Abhishek are 7th and 8th leading scorers respectively.

"There are many positive takeaways for us from this outing here in Rourkela which will hold us in good stead as we prepare for the upcoming Asian Games," the skipper was quoted as saying in a media release.

Another big factor that contributed to the team's success in these matches in Rourkela was the team's improved on-field communication and decisive video referrals, including the crucial one taken by goalkeeper Sreejesh during the penalty shootout.

"Yes, the referral taken by Sreejesh was absolutely critical to our win. He has years of experience and understands the updated rules of the game but even some of the other video referrals by our team in crucial moments of the match were very important, this is something we work on even in our training. On-field communication was also much better this time, and we will continue to build on this," Harmanpreet concluded.

The Indian team will travel to New Delhi from Rourkela on Thursday for the 5th Hockey India Annual Awards, scheduled to be held on March 17, following which the team will get a two-week break before they reassemble in the National Coaching Camp. IANS

Four impressive successive wins in Hockey Pro League 2022-2023 home games have helped Indian men's hockey jump to the fourth place in the latest FIH World Ranking 

World ranking doesn't matter much to us, says Indian men's hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh

Dhaka: Four months after their last international outing, where they narrowly lost to eventual champions Australia in the semifinals of the Women’s T20 World Cup, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led India will be eyeing a fresh start in the format as they take on Bangladesh in the T20I series opener at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Sunday. In the squad for the T20Is against Bangladesh, with Nooshin Al Khadeer as interim coach, India have included fresh faces in Rashi Kanojiya, Minnu Mani, B Anusha and Uma Chetry, giving them a chance to shine at the international level in the absence of the likes of Richa Ghosh, Shikha Pandey, Renuka Singh Thakur. Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, and captain Harmanpreet Kaur are set to bat in the top four positions, it means that left-handed wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia will have to bat at No.5 and see how she fares as a finisher after being an opener for Mumbai Indians in the WPL as well as in previous T20Is. India will also be trying to unearth a finisher who also possesses power-hitting skills, something which is very much needed in the ever-evolving world of T20 cricket. The lack of a power-packed finisher in the Indian team was also evident from the previous slip-ups in the Commonwealth Games final as well as in this year’s Women’s T20 World Cup semifinal. With no Richa in the team, the likes of Pooja Vastrakar, Amanjot Kaur and Deepti Sharma need to step up big time on the slow and low pitches of Bangladesh. Deepti had donned the finisher’s role for UP Warriorz in the WPL. But Deepti failed to shine and ended up with a below-par strike rate of 83.33, while Pooja and Amanjot have shown on certain occasions that they can do the finishing job well if provided a chance to do so. In the absence of pacers Renuka and Shikha Pandey as well as left-arm spinners Radha Yadav and Rajeshwari Gayakwad, the left-arm spin duo of Anusha and Rashi can fancy their chances of making an international debut. Though the duo didn’t find any takers in the WPL, they have shined in the domestic circuit, with Anusha recently being a member of the India A side winning the Emerging Teams Asia Cup trophy in Hong Kong. For the left and right-arm pace duo of Monica Patel and Meghna Singh, it is a golden opportunity to show that they can be long-time members of the Indian team, alongside another left-arm pacer in Anjali Sarvani. Monica is back in the format for the first time since debuting against South Africa at home in March 2021 while Meghna will be eager to put good performances after finding no team in the WPL. On the other hand, Bangladesh enter the series after leaving out their experienced players, pacer Jahanara Alam and top-order batter Fargana Hoque, who is in the standbys.  It is a chance for uncapped batter Shathi Rani, as well as young pacers Marufa Akter and uncapped Disha Biswas, to stake a claim for permanent spots in the Nigar Sultana Joty-led team, with the Women’s T20 World Cup set to be held in Bangladesh in 2024. Squads:  Bangladesh: Nigar Sultana (captain &amp; wicketkeeper), Nahida Akter, Dilara Akter, Shathi Rani, Shamima Sultana, Sobhana Mostary, Murshida Khatun, Shorna Akter, Ritu Moni, Disha Biswas, Marufa Akter, Sanjida Akter Maghla, Rabeya, Sultana Khatun, Salma Khatun, Fahima Khatun India: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Deepti Sharma, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Yastika Bhatia (wicketkeeper), Harleen Deol, Devika Vaidya, Uma Chetry (wicketkeeper), Amanjot Kaur, S. Meghana, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Anjali Sarvani, Monica Patel, Rashi Kanojiya, Anusha Bareddy, Minnu Mani.—IANS

Four months after their last international outing, where they narrowly lost to eventual champions Australia 

Harmanpreet Kaur-Led India Eye Fresh Start On Return To Internationals Against Bangladesh

New Delhi: Indian men’s hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh credited teamwork for penalty corner conversion after finishing as the leading scorer in the recently concluded 2022-23 FIH Hockey Pro League. Harmanpreet finished the competition as the tournament's top scorer with 18 goals followed by Belgian Hendrickx Alexander, who scored 13 goals in the tournament, and British Bandurak Nicholas, who scored 12 goals in 16 games in the 2022-23 FIH Hockey Pro League. India fourth in the FIH Pro League 2022-23, behind the Netherlands, Great Britain, and Belgium. Despite finishing fourth, India led the tournament in goal scoring with 51 goals from 16 games. "I firmly believe that success in penalty corner conversion is a team effort. While I may be the one taking the shots, it's the collective hard work of the entire team that makes it possible. From the pushers to the stoppers and the flickers, each player plays a crucial role in creating the opportunity and executing the penalty corner flawlessly," Harmanpreet was quoted by Hockey India website. Speaking about finishing as the top scorer in the 2022-23 FIH Hockey Pro League, Harmanpreet said: "It is a truly humbling experience to be recognized as the top scorer in the competition. This accomplishment is the result of the collective efforts of our team, the unwavering support of our fans, and the guidance of our coaching staff." Meanwhile, the Indian skipper also talked about the team's preparations for the upcoming 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation - International Tournament to be held in Terrasa, Spain from 25th to 30th July. India will be up against England, Netherlands, and hosts Spain in the four-nation tournament which can be considered as the preparatory event for the Indian team ahead of the much-awaited Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai. "We have had a fantastic week of training, focusing on sharpening our skills and building our team cohesion. As we prepare to depart for Spain and participate in the upcoming four-nation tournament, which serves as a crucial preparatory event for the upcoming Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai, we are confident and eager to showcase our best performance. "We have a talented and dedicated group of players who are ready to give their all and make our country proud. The upcoming challenges will only strengthen our resolve, and we are excited to embrace them head-on. Also, it’s good for us that experienced goalkeeping Coach Dennis van de Pol is going to hold the training camp soon for the team’s goalkeepers as his valuable insights and coaching skills will definitely strengthen our team," the ace drag-flicker said. —IANS

Indian men’s hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh credited teamwork for penalty corner conversion after finishing 

Penalty Corner Conversion Is Collective Hard Work Of Entire Team, Says Harmanpreet Singh

Chennai: Having survived some anxious moments despite dominating the match in the draw against Japan, top-ranked India came up with a superb performance to blank Malaysia 5-0 in a key round-robin stage match in the Asian Champions Trophy at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium here on Sunday. A determined Indian men's hockey team executed its game plan well to climb up the points table. Playing in front of a packed home crowd, the hosts lived up to the billing, producing an exciting brand of hockey from hooter to hooter.
<a href="https://www.thehawk.in/posts/wi-ind-t20i-hardik-pandya" target="_blank">Sports News: WI, IND, T20I, Hardik Pandya</a> It was a memorable outing for Harmanpreet Singh who achieved a personal milestone of scoring their 150th international goal with a 42nd-minute PC while Karthi Selvam (15'), Hardik Singh (32'), Gurjant Singh (53') and Jugraj Singh (54') contributed in India's win. Coming into this game with two wins in a row, a 3-1 win against Pakistan and a 5-1 victory over China, Malaysia looked to remain ahead of India in the points table. But India played with aggression and the right intent to score at regular intervals. Within the first five minutes of the match, experienced forward Akashdeep Singh built a strong attack slotting the ball to Vivek Sagar Prasad who smartly tackled a couple of Malaysian defenders to assist Sukhjeet. Though the striker took a strong shot on goal, his flick missed the target.
<a href="https://www.thehawk.in/posts/prabhas-deepika-starrer-'kalki-2898-ad'-resumes-shoot-in-hyderabad" target="_blank">Bollywood News: Prabhas, Deepika-Starrer ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ Resumes Shoot In Hyderabad</a> Just minutes before the first quarter whistle, India's first goal came through local hero Karthi Selvam. It was Skipper Harmanpreet Singh who made a brilliant long, grounded pass to Karthi setting him up for a fine field goal from the top of the circle. After a goalless second quarter, India took a 2-0 lead in the 32nd minute - thanks to a Hardik Singh after his Skipper fetched the team's third PC. Though Harmanpreet's flick was saved by Malaysia's goalie, a rebound was picked up well by Hardik to deflect it into the post. The team extended their lead to 3-0 when Harmanpreet scored in the 42nd minute. With a comfortable 3-0 lead, India looked to finish well. Working on a disciplined attack, India upped the pressure on Malaysia with a flurry of goals. Gurjant Singh (53') and Jugraj Singh (54') scored back-to-back goals to put India ahead by 5-0. The Indian defenders did well to keep India in the lead till the final hooter. —IANS

Having survived some anxious moments despite dominating the match in the draw against Japan

Asian Champions Trophy 2023: Harmanpreet Scores His 150th Goal, India Thrash Malaysia 5-0

Chennai: India won the Asian Champions Trophy hockey competition for the fourth time on Saturday with a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Malaysia in the final.
The Indians struggled to contain Malaysia's aggressive play in the opening half.
In the ninth minute, India scored the first PC when Jugraj scored with a powerful flick to the right of the Malaysian custodian.
After a slow beginning, the Indians found their rhythm and played full-press hockey for the rest of the contest.
In spite of this, Malaysia kept pushing the envelope and challenging India's defences. In the 14th minute, their hard work paid off as Abu Kamal Azari scored off an assist from Azuan Hasan on the right wing.
India had two penalty corners in the opening seconds of the first quarter but failed to capitalise on each opportunity.
With their second-quarter momentum intact, Malaysia earned two penalty corners in the 18th minute, the second of which was converted by Razie Rahim thanks to a deflection off the stick of rusher Amit Rohidas.
Malaysia was awarded a penalty corner in the 23rd minute after Jugraj committed an unnecessary stick check, but their shot missed the goal.
At the 28-minute mark, Malaysia was awarded another penalty corner, and this time Muhamad Aminudin made no mistakes in putting his team up 3-1.
In the 43rd minute, Malaysia was awarded another penalty corner, but India's defence held firm.
Within a minute, the Indians had tied the game at three apiece with two quick goals.
India's captain Harmanpreet Singh tied the game 3-3 with a penalty shot in the 45th minute, and seconds later, Gurjant Singh tied it up from the pitch.
Six minutes before the final horn, India earned a penalty corner, but the opposing custodian blocked Harmanpreet's flick.
India maintained their offensive assault and got another penalty corner shortly, but Harmanpreet's shot missed the post.
Mandeep Singh fed Akashdeep Singh, who scored the game-winning goal with a slap stick from the top of the 'D' for India.—Inputs from Agencies

India won the Asian Champions Trophy hockey competition for the fourth time on Saturday with a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Malaysia in the final.

India beat Malaysia 4-3 to win Asian Champions Trophy for fourth time

Hangzhou [China]: The Indian men's hockey team dominated Uzbekistan in their opening Asian match at the Gongshu Canal Sports Park Stadium in Hangzhou, People's Republic of China, securing a resounding 16-0 victory, on Sunday.  For India, Lalit Upadhyay (7’, 24’ 37’, 53’), Varun Kumar (12’, 36’, 50’, 51’), Abhishek (17’), Mandeep Singh (18’, 27’, 28’) Amit Rohidas (38’), Sukhjeet (42’), Shamsher Singh (43’) and Sanjay (57’) scored in the commanding win.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Three hat-tricks and eight different scorers marked a memorable victory, with this the three-time Asian Games champions climbed to the top of the Asian Games 2023 men’s hockey Pool A standings. The top two from each pool will make the semi-finals. India's men's hockey team, third in the FIH Rankings, came into the Hangzhou Games on the back of their Asian Champions Trophy triumph last month. 
Even with the absence of their captain Harmanpreet Singh, India went on the offensive right from the start making world No. 66 Uzbekistan to defend deep. India’s constant pressure on Uzbekistan’s goal started to yield results immediately. Seven minutes into the match, Lalit Upadhyay breached Uzbekistan's defence from a penalty corner to make it 1-0 for India. Minutes later, Varun Kumar doubled India’s lead from another penalty corner. The first quarter ended with the scoreboard reading 2-0 in India’s favour. India continued to dominate the play in the second quarter as well and scored two quick field goals through Abhishek and Mandeep Singh. Lalit Upadhyay scored his second and the team’s fifth goal from a close range. 
Mandeep Singh then struck twice in two minutes to bag his hat-trick as India took a commanding 7-0 lead into half-time.  After the break, India didn't drop their relentless nature and added nine more goals to the tally and completed a 16-0 rout. The Indian men’s hockey team will play Singapore in the next game on Tuesday. The men’s hockey tournament at the Asian Games 2023 is also an Olympic qualifier with the eventual champion securing a berth to Paris 2024.
—ANI

The Indian men's hockey team dominated Uzbekistan in their opening Asian match at the Gongshu Canal Sports Park Stadium in Hangzhou

Indian men's hockey team crushes Uzbekistan with stunning 16-0 victory in Asian Games opener

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India]: India women's team skipper Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and opted to bat first for the one-off Test clash against England on Thursday at the DY Patil Sports Academy. Both teams will be seeking a victory in the four-day Test, as England have been winless in Test since 2014 and India are playing their first home Test after nine long years.
A couple of new faces are featuring in India's playing XI, as before the clash, Renuka Thakur, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Shubha Satheesh were handed their Test debut caps. Ahead of the clash, England skipper Heather Knight expressed the desire to end their winless run before returning home. "I am desperate to win a Test match. It feels like it's been a while since we've done that as an England side. It'll be a great finish if we end with a win in the Test. It was so pleasing- the T20 series win. With the T20 World Cup coming up, it feels like we're in a really good place. It gave our youngsters some time in conditions they're not otherwise too used to. Playing cricket out here in the heat and humidity is not easy. We're going to have to play really well. It'll be satisfying to have a good four days and then wind up with a win and head home for Christmas," Heather said on the eve of the clash in the pre-match press conference. On the other hand, Harmanpreet went on to talk about the strategy that the team would adopt for a four-day Test but held back the combination that they could opt for.  "It is a four-day game. So even if you have to bowl for two days, you have to look at who can bowl for two days and who are those batters who can bat for long," India captain Harmanpreet said. "If we look at the pitch and decide the combination, it will be different but if we look at our strengths, it will be a different combination. I would like to go with our strengths," she added. India Women (Playing XI): Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Deepti Sharma, Yastika Bhatia(w), Sneh Rana, Shubha Satheesh, Pooja Vastrakar, Renuka Thakur Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad England Women (Playing XI): Tammy Beaumont, Sophia Dunkley, Heather Knight(c), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danielle Wyatt, Amy Jones (w), Sophie Ecclestone, Charlotte Dean, Kate Cross, Lauren Filer, Lauren Bell.
—ANI

India women's team skipper Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and opted to bat first for the one-off Test clash against England on Thursday

India win toss, opt to bat in one-off Test against England's women's team

Navi Mumbai: Deepti Sharma bamboozled the batters to claim a maiden fifer (5 for 7), as India Women bundled out England for 136 and then raised 186/6 in their second innings to take total control of the four-day one-off Test at the DY Patil Stadium here on Friday.  It was a strange second day of action as India, who posted 428 in their first innings, gained a lead of 292 runs and decided to bat instead of forcing a follow-on. They ended the second day at 186/6 off 42 overs to extend their lead to 478 runs with two days to go.  At stumps, India skipper Harmanpreet was batting on 44 off 67, hoping to score her maiden half-century on the third day. Pooja Vastrakar was keeping her company with 17, as they raised 53 runs off 85 balls for the seventh wicket. For England, Charlie Dean claimed 4-68 while Sophie Ecclestone got 2-76.  After India raced to 410/7 on the first day, 19 wickets fell on the second with spinners bagging 16 of them. This is the maximum number of wickets to fall in a single day in a women's Test match in India, surpassing the 16 that fell in a day against England at Jamshedpur in 1995. Five wickets fell in the first session, eight in the second and six in the third session of the day.  While the Indian spinners got their victims with balls that kept low and turned sharply at times, their taller English counterparts foxed the batters with deliveries that bounced.  It was a day dominated by spinners and none was better than Deepti Sharma, who claimed 5-7 to turn the game India's way. It was a nice all-round performance for her as she scored 87 runs across two innings, getting out twice in a day.  Deepti who was out for 67 in the morning as India posted 428 in their first innings, adding 18 runs to their overnight score, ended with figures of 5.2-4-7-5, her best bowling performance coming in her third Test.  Cutting down on pace to extract sharp turn at times on a pitch on which some deliveries kept a bit low, Deepti tossed up her deliveries, got a good loop going and mixed them with straight ones to keep the batters guessing.  The 26-year-old from Agra, Uttar Pradesh claimed the wickets of Danni Wyatt (19), Amy Jones (12), Sophie Ecclestone (0), Kate Cross (1) and Lauren Filer (5) as she came up with the brilliant display of spin bowling.  Fellow off-spinner Sneh Rana, who opened the bowling for India along with debutante pacer Renuka Singh Thakur, claimed the crucial wicket of Nat Sciver-Brunt, who top-scored for England with 59 off 70 deliveries, hitting 10 boundaries. Sneh pitched it wide and extracted sharp turn as Nat went back to make space to cut it but missed it completely, the ball going on to crash into the stumps. Sneh also trapped Charlie Dean lbw for a duck for figures of 2/25.  Debutante Renuka Singh started England's downfall in the third over when a delivery moved in off the pitch and went through the big gap between bat and pad to crash into the middle stump. England were down to 13/1.  Vastrakar then made it 28/2 by sending back the dangerous Heather Knight in her first over. England's skipper, their most experienced player, got out as The ball moved in from outside off, evaded the bat and struck her back foot. Knight reviewed the decision but DRS showed no bat was involved.  Tammy Beaumont, who scored a double hundred in England's previous Test against Australia at Nottingham, was the next to go, run out thanks to a brilliant piece of pick-up-and-throw by Vastrakar. Beaumont and Nat Sciver-Brunt added 51 runs for the third wicket, England's best in the first innings.  Deepti then got into the act and with Sneh Rana backing her up, triggered a collapse as England lost seven wickets for 32 runs from 104/3.  Deepti started by dismissing Wyatt in her first over, getting her second delivery of the match turned and taking the inside edge onto her pads, lobbing up as a simple catch for Jemimah Rodrigues at short-leg.  Amy Jones got out freakishly as her pull shot on a short one ricocheted off Smriti Mandhana's helmet at forward short leg and ballooned for Shafali Verma to catch it at leg slip. The bizarre dismissal left at 126/5 in the 30th over.  Nat Sciver-Brunt, who was batting on a run-a-ball 35 at lunch, slowed down a bit and completed her half-century off 63 balls (8x4) as wickets continued to tumble at the other end. England lost their last five wickets for 10 runs to concede a huge lead.  India then rubbed salt into the wounds as they extended their lead beyond 400 runs, setting England the biggest chase in the history of women's cricket.  Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana raised 60 runs for the opening wicket, the former a bit circumspect in her approach at the second calling while Mandhana started more aggressively as she scored 26 off 29 balls, hitting three boundaries and one six before she fell to Sophie Ecclestone, the ball hitting the top of the bat and landing in the hands of Charlie Dean at short-leg. Though Shafali scored her first run off the 11th ball she faced, she scored 33 off 53 balls, studded with two boundaries and two maximums. dean got her as she walked down the pitch to try and lift the left-arm spinner over long-on but only managed to give Ecclestone catching practice.  Yastika Bhatia did not last long and though Jemimah Rodrigues (27) and Harmanpreet added 32 runs for the fourth wicket, India slumped from 77/2 in the 16th over to 133/6 in the 28th, the England spinners sharing the six wickets between them.  With debutante Shubha Satheesh doubtful to bat after she suffered a hairline fracture, it was practically seven wickets down for India.  Brief scores:  At Stumps, Day 2: India 428 all out in 104.3 overs &amp; 186/6 in 42 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 44 not out, Shafali Verma 33; Charlie Dean 4-68) lead England Women 136 all out in 35.3 overs (Nat Sciver-Brunt 59, Deepti Sharma 5-7, Sneh Rana 2-25) by 478 runs.
—IANS

Deepti Sharma bamboozled the batters to claim a maiden fifer (5 for 7), as India Women bundled out England for 136 and then raised 186/6

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