PETALING JAYA: India handed Malaysia a harsh lesson by thrashing the Speedy Tigers 4-1 in their Asian Cup Super 4s clash on Thursday (Sept 4).

It was the second match in the round-robin stage for both teams, with Malaysia coming in high on confidence after defeating China 2-0 on Wednesday (Sept 5).

But India, playing on home turf at the Bihar Sports University Hockey Stadium in Rajgir, put on a commanding display.

The Speedy Tigers, coached by Sarjit Singh, struck first through Mohd Shafiq Hassan in the second minute.

However, India responded in style as Manpreet Singh equalised in the 17th minute from a penalty corner, before Sukhjeet Singh gave the hosts the lead just two minutes later with a field goal.

Lakra Shilanand made it 3-1 in the 24th minute, and Prasad Vivek Sagar extended the lead further with India’s fourth goal in the 38th minute. The scoreline remained unchanged until the final whistle.

The defeat leaves Malaysia in third place in the Super 4s standings with three points, level with China in second place, while India lead the table with four points.

This means Saturday’s clash against South Korea is crucial for Malaysia, as only the top two teams will advance to the final.