Abbas sets mark as Pakistan win
NEW DELHI: Penalty-corner specialist Sohail Abbas equalled the field hockey world record for international goals as he starred in Pakistan's 3-1 win over India in the fifth match of an eight-match series here yesterday.
Abbas scored off a penalty-corner in the first-half and converted a penalty stroke in the second to equal Dutch legend Paul Litjens record of 267 goals as Pakistan took a 3-1 lead in the series.
Forward Kashif Jawad struck the other goal for the winners while Sandeep Michael shot in for India, who trailed 2-0 at half-time.
Michael's deflection off a hit-in from captain Dilip Tirkey early in the second session gave India hope but Abbas sealed the fate of the match by scoring off the 'stroke' a little later.
The 'stroke' was awarded after Tirkey was hit on the face while defending a penalty-corner and had to be stretchered off the ground.
Abbas was happy to equal the record but said he still had a long way to go.
India did launch quite a few attacks in the second session but looked a disjointed lot in the first.
They conceded an early goal when centre-forward Jawad found the mark with a first-timer in the fifth minute after Dilawar Hussain cut past a couple of defenders and put him in possession.
India struggled to create moves even as Pakistan increased the lead in the 28th minute when Abbas converted his team's third penalty-corner in the 28th minute.
Michael failed to latch on to a long pass from Hari Prasad on the left flank in the best chance that India had in the first session, in which they gained just one penalty-corner.
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