Rajgir: India were forced to share the points with Korea after a tense 2-2 draw in their opening Super 4s clash at the Hero Men’s Asia Cup in Rajgir, Bihar.
Hardik Singh gave India an early lead in the eighth minute with a solo run and neat finish, but Korea hit back quickly. Jihun Yang equalised from a penalty stroke in the 12th minute before Hyeonhong Kim’s drag flick two minutes later put the defending champions ahead.
India dominated possession in the second and third quarters but struggled to break through Korea’s disciplined defence. Captain Harmanpreet Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh and Abhishek all had chances to restore parity but were denied by the goalkeeper or wayward finishing.
The breakthrough came in the 53rd minute when Sukhjeet Singh slipped a clever pass into the circle for Mandeep Singh, who tapped into an empty net to level the contest. Both sides had late penalty corners but neither could find a decisive goal.
India will next face Malaysia on Thursday evening, while Japan defeated Chinese Taipei 2-0 and Malaysia overcame China 2-0 in other results.
