In Asia Cup hockey 2022, India defeated Japan. Manjeet Singh and Pawan Rajbhar were the stars of the game as India defeated Japan 2-1 in the first Super 4 match in Jakarta. Manjeet scored a brilliant solo goal for India in the 7th minute of the first quarter, but Takuma Niwa equalized in the second quarter with the score at 1-1 at half time.
Japan was the most dominant team in both quarters in terms of possession and had four penalty corners; they finally scored through their third when Niwa scored on a rebound after Suraj Karkera made a great save.
However, India made a brilliant comeback in the third quarter through Pawan Rajbhar, and gained confidence as there were more penetrations into the circle by the Men in Blue for the rest of the game as India held on to their one-goal lead. . With the win, India jumped to the top of the Super 4 with three points.
The Indians grew in confidence and got their footing as the match progressed.
It was a moment of brilliance from Manjeet that handed India the lead. He made a brilliant solo run down the left flank after receiving a pass from Pawan Rajbhar and used 3D skills to perfection to beat Takashi Yoshikawa under the Japanese bar.