By IANS
Chennai : Tushar Khandekar’s hatrick helped India beat Belgium 5-0 in the second hockey Test at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium here Sunday.
India – who lead the five-Test series 1-0 – scored through Birender Lakra (33rd), Tushar Khandekar (42nd, 46th, 64th) and Rajpal Singh (65th).
India displayed a refreshingly positive approach unlike the lethargic performance in the first Test.
There was decisiveness and sharpness in their ball rotation and moves while the midfield play gave away little for most part of the game. Only in patches did the Indian defence showed nervousness, but goalkeeper Bharat Chhetri kept the team afloat with an outstanding performance.
The Belgians, who had fought so hard Friday to come back from a 3-0 deficit to draw the match 4-4, grew increasingly despondent and frustrated as they were found wanting in pace and skills.
They did force five penalty corners while conceding just one, but found Chhetri a difficult man to beat.
The Indians adopted an attacking posture with some tight midfield play for the best part of the first-half. Saradara Singh in particular was in the thick of action, with a steady steam of passes to the forwards.
The Belgian midfield play left a lot to be desired and left acres of space that the Indians exploited to the fullest.
Despite easily penetrating the Belgian defence, the Indian forwards were guilty of poor positional play inside the circle where a stream of passes went unutilised. Adding to India’s woes were the Belgian deep defenders, including goalkeeper David van Rysselberghe, who marked and covered well.
On their part, the Belgians managed to squeeze a few moves, but did not have a clear look at the Indian goal but a penalty corner in the 19th minute that goalkeeper Chhetri saved with aplomb.
Early in the second-half, Belgium forced their second penalty corner, but again failed to convert. India swung into attack and Khandekar capped a Rajpal-Shivender right wing move, sweeping the ball to goal after it came off a defender’s stick in the 42nd minute.
The Belgians kept fighting and forced two consecutive penalty corners but Chhetri could not be beaten.
India then launched a lightning counter-attack that Khandekar converted, pushing home Shivender’s pass from the right that Rysselberghe failed to intercept cleanly and the hosts went 3-0 up by the 46th minute.
After surviving two more penalty corners, India received their first and only one of the game and Khandekar slammed home a rebound after Dilip Tirkey’s direct hit came off goalkeeper van Rysselberghe in the 64th.
Even before Belgium could settle down, Rajpal drove in a Shivender pass to round off the day’s scoring, five minutes from the close.
India made three changes, replacing goalkeeper Baljit Singh, defender Jaswinder Singh and forward Bharat Chhikara with Bharat Chhetri, S.V. Sunil and Birender Lakra, respectively.