India take on Korea in quest for berth in Hockey Asia Cup 2022 finale

The Men in Blue have endured mixed fortunes in the tournament so far.

The Indian men’s hockey team will be in action at the 2022 Asia Cup against South Korea in their next Super4s fixture on 31 May 2022. Despite playing a second-string squad, India has a chance of making it into the final, if they beat their opponents outright. The Indians can still make the final, if Malaysia are unable to defeat Japan by more than two goals and they play out a draw with the Koreans.

Sardar Singh helped the team from the sidelines to beat Japan 2-1 in the opening fixture of the Super4s group. Later, they played out a 3-3 draw with Malaysia to end up with four points from two matches, the same as the South Koreans. They too managed a win over Japan and played a draw with Malaysia in the run-up to the upcoming match.   

There is a lot riding on the line as India gears up to play South Korea in the final Super4s fixture. Here is a look at what the fans can expect from the game:

Team India

The Indian team had a slow start to the tournament. They drew the opening game against Pakistan and then lost the second to Japan by 5-2 in Pool fixtures. However, a sensational performance against Indonesia saw the Men in Blue record a 16-0 victory. This took them to the Super 4s, where the team took revenge by beating Japan and then drawing with Malaysia. India will hope to carry their rhythm into the next match and secure a place in the final.

Team South Korea

South Korea will aim to continue their impressive goalscoring form against India. The outfit come into this fixture with an impressive 3-1 win over Japan. Furthermore, a draw will be enough for them to reach the final. Having said that, India will be a tough challenge and the South Koreans will hope to avoid being complacent in the crucial game. 

Key Player

Dipsan Tirkey (India)

Indian defender Dipsan Tirkey will be one of the players to watch out for in the forthcoming match. He is lethal from penalty-corner situations and is the leading goalscorer for India at the tournament with five goals.

Interestingly, all five of his goals came against Indonesia and the player will hope to break his drought in the Super 4s by scoring against South Korea. 

Jang Jong-hyun (South Korea)

South Korea will pin its hopes on Jang Jong-hyun. The veteran is one of the most experienced players in the Asia Cup 2022. He is the leading goalscorer for the team with five goals and will look to add more.

He was one of the goalscorers in the last 3-1 win against Japan. Indian defenders will need to make sure to not give away penalty-corners. If the opportunity presents itself, then Jang will certainly hurt Indian hopes.

Squad

Team India

Pankaj Kumar Rajak, Suraj Karkera, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Yashdeep Siwach, Abhisek Lakra, Birendra Lakra (Captain), Manjeet, Dipsan Tirkey, Vishnukant Singh, Raj Kumar Pal, Mareeswaren Sakthivel, Sheshe Gowda BM, Simranjeet Singh, Pawan Rajbhar, Abharan Sudev, SV Sunil (Vice-Captain), Uttam Singh, S Karthi.

Team South Korea

Kim Jae-hyeon, Lee Nam-yong, Jung Man-jae, Lee Seun-gil, Hwang Ta-eil, Lee Jung-jun, Ji Woo-Cheon, Lee Hye-seung, Lee Mook-young, Kim Sung-hyun, Jeong Jun-woo, Lee Seung-hoon, Kim Hyeong-jin, Jang Jong-hyun, Jeon Byung-jin, Yang Ji-hun, Kang Young-bin, Lee Ju-young

Broadcast

The Asia Cup 2022 fixture between India and South Korea will be played from 5 PM IST at the GBK Sports Complex Hockey Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia. The broadcast will be live on the Disney+ Hotstar app.

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