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Young striker Raj Kumar Pal led the team with three goals, scoring in the 3rd, 25th, and 33rd minutes.
Other Indian players contributing to the score were Araijeet Singh Hundal (6th and 39th minutes), Jugraj Singh (7th minute), Harmanpreet Singh (22nd minute), and Uttam Singh (40th minute).
Malaysia’s lone goal came from Akhimullah Anuar in the 34th minute.
India currently lead the standings with nine points from three wins. The tournament features six teams playing in a round-robin format, with the top four advancing to the semifinals on September 16, followed by the final on September 17.
In earlier matches, India defeated China 3-0 and Japan 5-1. Next, they will face Korea on Thursday and then Pakistan on Saturday.
In their previous encounter, India came from behind to defeat Malaysia 4-3 in the final of the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy.
This time, the Indian team dominated from the start, with Raj Kumar Pal opening the scoring with an early goal. Araijeet Singh Hundal and Jugraj Singh quickly added two more goals, ending the first quarter with a 3-0 lead.
Malaysia started the second quarter aggressively but couldn’t break through India’s defense.
Harmanpreet Singh extended the lead with a penalty corner conversion in the 22nd minute. Raj Kumar scored his second goal shortly after, taking India into halftime with a 5-0 advantage.
Raj Kumar completed his hat-trick in the 33rd minute, scoring from a rebound. Malaysia’s Anuar then scored their only goal. But India continued their offensive, with Araijeet and Uttam adding two more goals.
In another match of the day, Pakistan defeated Japan 2-1, improving their chances of reaching the semifinals.
