Sultan Azlan Shah Cup : Mandeep's hat-trick hands India 4-3 win over Japan

Striker Mandeep Singh scored a brilliant hat-trick to hand India a fighting 4-3 victory over lower-ranked Japan in a round robin match of the 26th Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament, here today.

Having squandered the early lead provided by a penalty corner conversion from Rupinderpal Singh, India were trailing when Mandeep got into his goal-scoring act in the second half. It needed two goals from Mandeep in the last 10 minutes to help India avoid a stunning loss.

Neutralising India's early lead through Kazuma Murata's fine deflection in the 10th minute, Japan led twice in the game with goals coming from Heita Yoshihara (43rd) and Genki Mitani (45th), but they could not overcome Mandeep's brilliance. 

Mandeep got into the goal-scoring act with a fine touch on a through ball from Harmanpreet Singh in the 45th minute.

He then came back to tap in a square ball from Sardar Singh in the 51st



minute and then ensured three points for India by capitalising on a diagonal ball from Rupinderpal in the 58th minute.

Mandeep's three goals kept India's challenge alive in the six-nation tournament, taking them to seven points from four matches. The win gave India a chance of making the second successive final in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup after having finished runners-up behind Australia last year.

India opened the account through Rupinderpal, who converted the first penalty corner in the eighth minute with a rasping flick into the right side of the net.

Japan wasted their first penalty corner in the ninth minute as the push could not be stopped cleanly. Japan were down to 10 men when they got the equaliser a minute later. The Indian defenders were reduced to the role of spectators as Japanese striker Murata flicked in from the goalmouth after picking a cross from Masaki Ohashi on the right.