The Indian senior men’s hockey team received a much-needed boost ahead of its Commonwealth Games campaign, as they prevailed over higher ranked England 3-2 in a practice tie at Glasgow. The 9th ranked Indians will feel a lot better about the win as it came against 5th ranked England.
Akashdeep Singh opened the account for India before Vokkaliga Raghunath doubled the lead. Rupinder Pal Singh churned out the match-winner.
India will face
New Zealand in their second and final practice game before they launch their
Commonwealth Games campaign against 31st ranked Wales – the lowest
ranked team in the men’s competition – on July 25.
India are pitted in Pool A alongside Wales, Scotland, Australia and South Africa. India The Sardar Singh-led side then face 25th ranked Scotland the next day. The Blueshirts have a two-day rest before locking horns with reigning champions and world number one Australia on July 29. India will wind up their league engagements against 12th ranked South Africa on July 31.
The Pool B comprises 5th ranked England, 6th ranked New Zealand, 13th ranked Malaysia, 16th ranked Canada and 29th ranked Trinidad & Tobago.
It may be mentioned here that the Rajpal Singh-led Indians had finished runners-up in the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games, where they suffered a 0-8 humiliation at the hands of Australia in a ridiculously one-sided summit showdown.
India will be
looking to build on their positives from their 9th place finish in
the 2014 World Cup, where they toppled higher ranked Korea in a classification
tie.
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