"We had a game plan, we stuck to it": India hockey head coach Criag Fulton

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], August 9 : India men's hockey team head coach Craig Fulton said that their victory came down to the fact of them sticking to the plans and executing them on the field after securing a thumping victory against Pakistan in the Asian Champions Trophy on Wednesday.

Performing in front of a roaring home audience at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium, the Indian Men’s Hockey Team put on a brilliant display, dominating their opponents from the get-go and ending up with a 4-0 win.

After the match, Fulton lauded the Indian team and took a dig at the Pakistan head coach Muhammad Saqlain's remarks for India not playing "structured hockey".

"We had a game plan and we stuck to it. The idea was to score goals early and that happened. We played structured hockey and it worked. We defended well and scored when it mattered the most. It is just about consistency. Nice challenge, we are looking forward to it. Some of our guys really stood out tonight," Craig Fulton said in the post-match conference.

Fulton went on to reveal that Jugraj's flick was something that he told him to do during the practice sessions.

"We executed our plans. There is always a feeling that we can score plenty of goals. It is quite nice. When Jugraj Singh flicked in practice I told him that is how I wanted you to flick when you play the match. Mandeep is bringing his experience into play. He is a seasoned player," Fulton added.

Coming to the match, the Indian men's hockey team beat Pakistan 4-0 to finish on top of the table at the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Chennai 2023 here on Wednesday. Performing in front of a roaring home audience at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium, the Indian Men’s Hockey Team put on a brilliant display, dominating their opponents from the get-go.

The Indian men’s hockey team’s victory was powered by a brace from Harmanpreet (15’, 23’). While Jugraj Singh (36’) and Akashdeep Singh (55’) also scored crucial goals to put the seal on the win.

India captain Harmanpreet made sure he successfully converted a penalty corner for his team and gave Men in Blue a 2-0 lead in the first half.

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