Jalandhar, Oct 30 — India booked a place in the semifinals of the men's Asian Champions Trophy with a 4-1 win over Japan at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar on Friday, their third straight victory of the tournament.

Source: IANS via HiIndia

Abhishek, playing his 150th international match, scored twice — in the 11th and 51st minutes — and was named Player of the Match. Captain Harmanpreet Singh converted a penalty corner in the 47th minute and Vishnu Kant Singh added a solo fourth in the 56th, while Shota Yamada scored Japan's only goal from a penalty stroke in the 15th minute.

Source: IANS via HiIndia

Locked at 1-1 until the final quarter

India struck first when Vivek Sagar Prasad set up Sukhjeet Singh's move down the left of the circle for Abhishek's opener, but Japan levelled within four minutes through Yamada's penalty stroke. The score stayed 1-1 deep into the match before Harmanpreet's drag-flick from India's first penalty corner of the night turned the game in the 47th minute, and Abhishek and Vishnu Kant finished the job in a three-goal final quarter.

Source: ANI via Devdiscourse

The win keeps the defending champions on top of the table with nine points. In Friday's other matches, Malaysia beat Bangladesh 6-1 to also reach the semifinals, while Korea edged China 2-1 for their first win. India, who earlier beat Bangladesh 13-0 and China 5-2, next face Malaysia on Sunday, November 1, in Jalandhar — a meeting of the tournament's two unbeaten teams.

Source: IANS via HiIndia

The tournament is the first international hockey event hosted in Punjab in a decade.