New Delhi: India are clear favourites to win the ongoing women’s Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament, although their performances by itself show that they are very much in a re-building process after the dejection of missing out on Paris Olympics qualification.

Sunday provided evidence of all that as the hosts made a slow start before finding their fluidity into the third quarter to beat Japan 3-0, a fifth straight victory helping India top the round robin stage in the six-team tournament being played at the Bihar Sports University Hockey Stadium in Rajgir.

After Monday’s rest day, India will again face the enterprising Japanese in the semi-finals, a team that is not short of running but one that appears far from capable of matching the continent’s top sides. China, who are without most of the players who helped them win the Olympic silver medal, upstaged Korea to finish second in the table. They will face Malaysia in the other semis.

Like they did in their 3-0 win over China on Saturday, India didn’t find their rhythm until after the halftime. Despite repeated forays into Japan’s striking circle, the penalty corners that resulted didn’t get converted as they even struggled to cleanly stop. Four PCs went abegging in the first two quarters. That Japan could not force a single penalty corner underlined the one-sided contest.

However, India came alive into the third quarter. Navneet Kaur collected what seemed like an innocuous pass outside the circle, and unchallenged, sent a well-controlled reverse hit. It was more control than power but was enough to go past the left foot of a tentative Japanese goalkeeper Yu Kudo and into the goal in the 37th minute.

India’s moves gathered more momentum after that and the patient rotating of the ball also drew the Japanese players forward, leading to gaps behind that were exploited. Two penalty corners in quick succession saw Deepika (47th, 48th) convert both, the power in her drag-flick for the third beating the goalkeeper and glancing off her glove to find the net.

It took India until after the halfway mark to break through China’s defence and it was the same against Japan. They hosts began with patient build-ups to keep Japan back-pedalling. But India still could not create clear chances in that early phase. The first opening came after Deepika drew a foul in the circle, earning a penalty corner about 10 minutes into the first quarter.

Although Deepika came up with a powerful low flick, Japan goalkeeper Yu Kudo made a fine save. India stepped up pace and Manisha and Neha combined to force another penalty corner, but it could not be converted.

Japan showed better ball control in the second quarter, but they could not get past India’s solid defence. No clear openings were found by either team until India earned a PC five minutes before halftime, but the routine was far from perfect. Japan somehow held on, making many close-range saves.

India were more enterprising in the third quarter. A Lalremsiami move saw her move down the centre and pass to Salima Tete, who relayed it to Deepika. However, her shot was cleared. India finally ended the deadlock when Navneet Kaur’s shot caught Yu Kudo rooted.

Japan came out of their defensive shell chasing an equaliser, but India held on to their 1-0 lead going into the final quarter. It started with a penalty corner that was retaken for the third time and Deepika sent home a powerful low flick to the right post. India’s continued press resulted in a penalty corner the very next minute and Deepika’s flick was too powerful as the goalkeeper could only deflect it on to her goal.

China’s 2-0 win over Korea edged out the latter from semi-final reckoning as they finished fifth in the round robin table.

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