India beat Malaysia 2-1 to reach Johor Cup final

India produced a composed all-round performance to overcome hosts Malaysia 2-1 in a rain-affected clash and sealed their place in the final of the Sultan of Johor Cup junior men’s hockey tournament here on Friday.

Goals from Gurjot Singh (22nd minute) and Sourabh Anand Kushwaha (48th) ensured India booked their record eighth appearance in the tournament’s final, where they will face Australia on Saturday. Malaysia’s lone strike came from Naaveenesh Panicker in the 43rd minute.

The contest began under challenging conditions as persistent rain delayed the start and made the turf slippery. Both sides struggled initially to find rhythm, with India relying on long aerial passes to breach Malaysia’s defence, but without much success.

As the pitch improved, India switched gears in the second quarter and began dominating possession. They earned a series of penalty corners and came close to scoring when Araijeet Singh Hundal’s rebound effort rattled the crossbar. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 22nd minute when Gurjot capitalised on a rebound, slotting home after the initial drag-flick was saved by Malaysian goalkeeper Haziq Hairul.

India went into halftime with a slender 1-0 lead but were guilty of missing several opportunities, converting just one of their nine penalty corners in the first two quarters.

The visitors continued their attacking momentum after the break, forcing Haziq into another fine save early in the third quarter. However, Malaysia found a lifeline in the 43rd minute when Naaveenesh pounced on a loose ball to level the score, exposing a brief lapse in India’s defence.

Unfazed, the Indian colts hit back swiftly. Just five minutes later, Kushwaha restored the lead with a calm finish from a rebound after finding himself unmarked in front of goal. India could have added another soon after, but a fumbled stop ruined a promising penalty corner in the 53rd minute.

Malaysia threw numbers forward in a desperate search for an equaliser, earning two late penalty corners, but India’s defence held firm under pressure. The backline, led by disciplined marking and sharp interceptions, stood tall to deny the hosts any clear scoring chance.

The hard-fought win capped another impressive outing for the Indian team, which now aims to clinch its fourth Sultan of Johor Cup title when it takes on Australia in the summit clash.