Japanese test awaits favourite India in the semifinals

The last match between India and Japan ended in a draw that was dominated by the host but frustratingly defended by the reigning Asian Games champion to blunt the battery of Indian attacks. On Friday, India will be looking to find a way to break it down as it seeks a spot in the final.

Having finished unbeaten on top of the pool table, India will be looking to go all the way as it builds up to the big-ticket Asian Games in just over a month. The ACT will be the last competitive outing for the team and a final chance for Craig Fulton to fine-tune his plans and see his players in action before the home stretch of training and finalising his squad.

It won’t be easy, though. Japan finished fourth on the table, its lone win in the last league match enough to put it above Pakistan but the team has constantly pushed its opponents even in games it has lost. It was also the only team to deny India’s battery of drag-flickers with Raiki Fujishima, Shota Yamada and Ken Nagayoshi repeatedly making suicidal runs during PC defence.

India will still be the favourite, though, with the team cohesion getting better with each outing. The strikers are still missing chances but India’s plans have worked — the balance between field-goal attempts and PCs is more even and Selvam Karthi, Akashdeep Singh and Mandeep Singh are getting more shots on target.

The defence has tightened up too, Amit Rohidas and Varun Kumar doing the duty even as Manpreet Singh and Harmanpreet Singh have kept moving as defensive freemen. A day’s rest will also help the team. Going by the performance India put up against Pakistan and with P.R. Sreejesh lining up for his 300th international cap, a repeat should be enough to sail through. As India coach Craig Fulton said after the Pakistan game, “the tournament starts now”.

Also hoping to advance will be Malaysia against Korea in the other semifinal in a repeat of their last pool-stage clash that went Malaysia’s way by a solitary goal despite them dominating for large parts and consistently pushing Korea back. Korea also had goalkeeper Jaehyeon Kim to thank for thwarting the Malaysians, who would be wary of dropping their guard against a patient Korean side that prefers to lie low and capitalise on the opposition’s errors, and veteran Jong-hyun Jang’s drag-flicks that haven’t fired so far but can never be ruled out.

Pakistan will take on China in the battle to avoid the wooden spoon. The former’s display has been heartening and it managed its only win in the tournament against the minnows.

Match times: Pakistan vs China (3.30 p.m.), Malaysia vs Korea (6 p.m.), India vs Japan (8.30 p.m.).