India, playing at the Rajgir Hockey Stadium, had to rally from behind after Shafiq Hassan (2\u2019) put Malaysia ahead in the opening minutes. The hosts regrouped swiftly, equalising through veteran midfielder Manpreet Singh (17\u2019) before Sukhjeet Singh (19\u2019) and Shilanand Lakra (24\u2019) turned the game around with quickfire goals.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Vivek Sagar Prasad (38\u2019) added a fourth after the break to put the result beyond doubt, ensuring India\u2019s second win of the Super 4s stage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThis win is the best gift I could have received in my 250th international match, and I\u2019m very happy the team gave it to me,\u201d Harmanpreet said after the match. \u201cWe win as a team. Even after conceding the first goal, we did not come under pressure. Our plan was clear \u2014 stick to our structure, and we knew the goals would come. Yesterday against Korea was a tough day, but today the team showed that we know how to bounce back. Our forwards created opportunities and the defence worked superbly as a unit.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Coach Craig Fulton praised his team\u2019s resilience and tactical execution. \u201cI am proud of the players\u2019 performance. After yesterday\u2019s draw, the team responded brilliantly. Conceding an early goal is never an ideal situation, but the players showed great character to come back strongly and score four consecutive goals,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The match itself highlighted India\u2019s ability to respond under pressure. After falling behind, the home side grew stronger with every quarter. Manpreet\u2019s opportunistic strike from a penalty corner rebound levelled the score, and Sukhjeet\u2019s sharp finish soon gave India the lead. Lakra\u2019s deft deflection extended the advantage before Vivek capped the scoring midway through the third quarter.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Malaysia tried to fight back with penalty corners and open-play opportunities, but India\u2019s defence, marshalled by Harmanpreet, stood firm. Goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak also pulled off crucial saves to deny the visitors.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The match itself highlighted India\u2019s ability to respond under pressure. After falling behind, the home side grew stronger with every quarter. Manpreet\u2019s opportunistic strike from a penalty corner rebound levelled the score, and Sukhjeet\u2019s sharp finish soon gave India the lead. Lakra\u2019s deft deflection extended the advantage before Vivek capped the scoring midway through the third quarter.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With the victory, India consolidated their position in the Super 4s group and gained momentum ahead of their next match against China on Saturday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n