India, expectedly, booked a spot in the final of the Hero women’s Hockey World League Round 2 with a 5-0 win over Thailand at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here on Saturday.
The host maintained a clean slate, having not conceded a goal so far. India will now play Poland for the title though both teams have already qualified for Round 3.
Jaspreet Kaur opened the scoring, converting a penalty stroke in the 11th minute.
Two more goals came in the first half even as coach Roelant Oltmans tried out different players. Playing its dominant style, India kept tight control on the proceedings with waves of attacks.
Toying with the opposition, India looked more like trying out combinations than attempting to score.
Even during penalty corners — India earned 10 and converted two — the Indians experimented with different variations, instead of direct shots, and Oltmans admitted that the team was least interested in setting any scoring records.
India, however, will not find it so easy against Poland, the latter upsetting Malaysia 1-0, thanks to captain Marlena Rybacha’s goal in the other semifinal.
Poland was the only team to trouble the host, during the league stage, and has been the most improved side in the competition so far.
Earlier, Russia thrashed Ghana 7-1 and will take on Kazakhstan in the final classification match on Sunday.
Kazakhstan beat Singapore 2-1.
The results (semifinals):
India 5 (Jaspreet Kaur, Sunita Lakra, Poonam Rani, Rani, Amandeep Kaur) bt Thailand 0; Poland 1 (Marlena Rybacha) bt Malaysia 0.
Play-off: 5-8: Kazakhstan 2 (Olga Khonina, Gulnara Imangaliyeva) bt Singapore 1 (Xinni Chua); Russia 7 (Ksenia Shamina 3, Kseniia Svezhentseva 3, Kristina Shumilina) bt Ghana 1 (Rachael Bamfo).
Final (on Sunday): India vs Poland (8 p.m.).
