India go down 2-4 to China in Women's Junior Asia Cup

Changzhou (China): Having won their two pool matches against North Korea and Singapore comprehensively, India junior women hockey team fought well before going down to hosts China 2-4 in their third match of the 7th Women's Junior Asia Cup here.

Both the teams started on aggressive note. Applying effective strategies, India managed to keep the ball in the early minutes, but China scored three back-to-back goals through penalty corners and that made all the difference.

The Chinese eves earned a penalty corner in the first few minutes but India's Inderpreet Kaur stopped the home team from taking lead.

However, they came back strongly and attacked from all sides, creating more opportunities. They earned three more penalty corners in a short span of six minutes and converted all of them to take a huge 3-0 lead.

Bingfeng Gu (two goals) and Qiu Guo scored through penalty corners in the 10th, 11th and 15th minutes.

After conceding three consecutive goals, Indian eves fought back with full force and they also earned a penalty corner, but failed to materialise.

In the next minute, Indian earned another penalty corner and this time drag-flicker Jaspreet Kaur converted the first goal for India in the 33rd minute. With this goal, the first half finished at 3-1 in China's favour.

In the second half, both the teams fought for ball possession.

After a series of attack from both sides, it was India who earned the first penalty corner but failed to convert it.

China quickly counter-attacked on Indian side and Chenyang Guo scored a field goal in the 50th minute to increase their lead to 4-1.

India again charged on Chinese circle and managed to earn another penalty corner. This time Gurjit Kaur took the shot and converted it in the 56th minute.

In the next minute, China once again earned a penalty corner, but Indian custodian Inderpreet thwarted their attempt.

In the last minutes, both the teams tried their level best to add another goal to their tally but failed to sneak into each-other's defence-line.

India's will next face Malaysia tomorrow.

This tournament is a qualification event for the FIH Junior World cup (women) 2016.