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Players clash as India down Pakistan
July 16, 2008

HockeyStar drag-flicker Diwakar Ram fashioned India's emphatic 3-1 win over Pakistan with a spectacular brace as the hosts stormed into the 6th Junior Asia Cup final after a violence-marred semi-final in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

After Gurwinder Singh Chandi opened India's account in the 15th minute, Diwakar came up with twin second half strikes to take the game away from Pakistan.

In between, Kashif Ali (42nd) reduced the margin for the visitors but in the end, it was just not enough.

India withstood Pakistan's early onslaught before taking control of the proceedings and Chandi scored an exceptional goal through a reverse flick to put India in the lead in the 15th minute.

The match, however, took an ugly turn in the 31st minute when a scuffle broke out among players following a brawl between Pakistani player Muhammad Irfan and Chandi.

Soon, they were joined by other teammates and blows were exchanged, at the end of which Irfan, who was eventually shown the yellow card, was seen bleeding.

The umpires called both Pakistan captain Shafqat Rasool and his Indian counterpart Gurbaj Singh and the match resumed with Pakistan playing with just 10 members.

Soon after resumption, Diwakar scored from a penalty corner to make it 2-0 but the Pakistanis refused to throw in the towel.

Kashif reduced one by converting a penalty corner in the 42nd minute but Diwakar rose to the occasion again on the 47th minute, sounding the board from India's third penalty corner.

India got one more short corner, which they could not translate into goals and they survived some torrid moments as Pakistan forced three penalty corners only to squander those.

Photograph and Text: PTI



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