ACT Women’s Hockey: India Look To Work on Finer Points Against Thailand

Buoyed by back-to-back victories in as many games, hosts India will look to work on finer points of game with an aim to thrash minws Thailand in women's Asian Champions Trophy here on Thursday.

Both India and reigning Olympic silver medallist China are unbeaten so far from two matches but hosts have an inferior goal difference.

China are atop points table with a goal difference of 20, while India have a goal difference of five and a handsome victory on Thursday will only help ir cause ahe of final two round robin matches against China and Japan.

Japan are placed third in points table ahe of Korea. top four sides from round robin st will qualify for semifinals of six-team continental tournament.

In both matches India created plenty of scoring chances but failed to score amount of goals y would have liked.

While India defeated Malaysia 4-0 in ir tournament opener, y scored a late goal to eke out a narrow 3-2 win over South Korea.

Indian players were guilty of rushing and faltered in choices once inside opposition circle, a fact which chief coach Harendra Singh mitted.

"...we could have scored more goals. We were guilty of rushing and did t look for right choices," Harendra said after Tuesday's match.

"We will watch clippings of match and analyse where we went wrong and work on finer points," he ded.

Ar factor which would be a cause of concern for Harendra is team's poor penalty corner conversion rate.

Against Malaysia India secured as many as 11 penalty corners but utilised just three and that to from indirect attempts.

If that was t eugh, India failed to make use of eight set pieces y mand to earn against Korea on Tuesday.

bright spot for India has been performances of forwards Sangita Kumari and Deepika, both scoring three goals apiece.

Sangita specially has been a livewire upfront with her deft stick work, but likes of Sharmila Devi, Preeti Dubey, Beauty Dung Dung need to share more responsibility.

Skipper Salima Tete and her deputy Navneet Kaur too need to pull up ir socks in midfield.

A win on Thursday will virtually seal India's place in semifinals before tough matches against China and Japan.

Going by rankings, ninth placed India are second best side in tournament after world .6 China.

And Thailand, who are ranked 29th in world, should be an easy outing for Indians.

Meanwhile in or matches of day, Korea will take on Malaysia while China will be up against Japan.