Sports India vs Indonesia Asia Cup Hockey

Defending champions India need to beat hosts Indonesia by a huge margin and hope Japan defeat Pakistan in the other Pool A match for advancing to the knockout stage of the Asia Cup men’s hockey tournament in Jakarta on Thursday (May 26). India’s fate is not in their own hands anymore as even a win against lowly Indonesia will not guarantee them a knock-out berth. Japan will have to beat Pakistan to keep India’s faint hopes alive.

With a draw and a loss, India are placed third in Pool A behind Japan (6 points) and Pakistan (4 points). Under the guidance of Sardar Singh, India fielded a young team in the tournament alongside a handful of seniors like Birendra Lakra and SV Sunil, who came out of retirements. But the senior duo looked well past their prime if their performances in the two matches so far are to go by.