Asian Champions Trophy 2023: India look to better PC conversion rate against Malaysia

Coach Craig Fulton also spoke about finding a solution to be more clinical.

As the Asian Champions Trophy 2023 enters its third round of thrilling group-stage matches, all eyes are on the formidable Indian men’s hockey team as they gear up to face off against Malaysia on Sunday at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium in Egmore.

With an impressive start in the tournament, the hosts have already shown their prowess on the field, winning their opening game against China with an astounding score of 7-2 and settling for a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Japan in their second encounter in the Asian Champions Trophy 2023 played on Friday.

India’s dominant performance against China showcased their attacking flair and goal-scoring ability, leaving spectators in awe of their offensive capabilities. However, their second match against Japan proved to be a stern test of their mettle. Despite creating numerous scoring opportunities, the Indian team faced a resilient Japanese defense and settled for a draw.  

The India team, who are currently second on the points table, will undoubtedly analyse their performance to identify areas of improvement and come back even stronger in the upcoming match against current table toppers Malaysia.

Speaking ahead of their upcoming match, Indian men’s hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh said, “We know what we need to do in our next game against Malaysia. Our focus is on capitalizing on the areas that led to our successful goals in the opening game against China. Additionally, we’re eager to try something new in our upcoming match.” 

Meanwhile, Indian men’s hockey team head coach Craig Fulton said that the team will take lessons from the game against Japan and make necessary improvements in their upcoming games. 

“We wanted to win against Japan and had enough chances. It’s not a nice feeling, but we have got to get better and be ready for the next game,” Fulton said.

“It’s every coach’s concern if you are not converting your chances, whether corners or field goals. So, you always try to work out ‘why?’ and try to find a solution for that and combinations of players together.”  

“However, the fact that we are winning a lot of corners is good. We also had a few shots. So, it’s not that we are not playing in our system. We are playing the way we want to play, and even against Japan, we had two-three really good counters. We are one phase away from finishing the way we want to,” he concluded.

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Now, the spotlight is on the clash against Malaysia, which are currently on top of the points table with two wins in as many games. They defeated Pakistan 3-1 in their opening game, while in the second match, they came from behind to beat China 5-1. 

Moreover, in the previous editions of the tournament, Malaysia have proven to be a tough nut to crack, and India are well aware of the challenges that await them on the field, hence the hosts will aim to be fully prepared for the clash on Sunday. 

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