Madrid, Mar 04: India wiped out a two-goal deficit before registering an emphatic 5-3 win against Malaysia in a Pool B match of the Olympic hockey qualifying tournament today.
India, desperate to bag full points after an unconvincing 1-1 draw against minnows Belgium on Tuesday, got off to a shocking start -- conceding two goals in a span of three minutes -- before bouncing back in style for their first win of the tournament.
Deepak Thakur (16th), Gagan Ajit Singh (27th and 46th), Dilip Tirkey (29th) and Baljit Singh Dhillon (65th) did the scoring for India after Boon Huat Chua (10th) and Kuhan Shanmuganathan (13th) gave Malaysia 2-0 lead early in the game.
M A Rahim converted a penalty stroke in the 62nd minute to revive hopes of a Malaysian comeback but the side paid dearly for failing to make use of as many as 10 penalty corners -- three of which came in the last three minutes.
The Indians, after the shocking draw against Belgium, started well today, making several inroads into the opposition circle in the early stage of the match.
In first five minutes India attacked at least thrice on the Malaysian post, but failed to score even once due to some poor finishing.

Malaysia on the otherhand were on the look out for the right moment to strike and they got it in the 10th minute when the side earned the first penalty corner.

The team took the lead against the run of play when Chua intelligently deflected in captain Kuham Shanmuganathan's hit from the penalty corner much to the dismay of the Indians.
Three minutes later the Indians suffered another jolt when Shanmuganathan hit the board from the second penalty corner.

That was all the Malaysians could do in the first half as it was India all the way till the breather with three goals in quick succession.
A 16th minute field goal by Deepak Thakur, who scored after getting a pass from Gagan Ajit Singh, opened the floodgates.

India were lucky to score the second goal when a long cross from Dilip Tirkey from the middle was not trapped properly by a Malaysian defender and the ball went to Gagan Ajit Singh, who slammed home with a reverse flick. Bureau Report