India Clinches Asia Cup Super 4 Berth with Narrow Victory Over Japan

India are into the Super 4s of the Asia Cup after a 3-2 win over Japan on Sunday in their pool A match in Rajgir.

Goals from Harmanpreet Singh (2) and Mandeep Singh were enough as they edged an unusual match in which India dominated for vast swathes, but Japan were never really out of it thanks to the finishing brilliance of Kosei Kawabe (2 goals).

India started the match with a level of intensity Japan simply couldn't handle. Vivek Sagar Prasad and Sukhjeet Singh combined down the left to send the latter scrambling across the baseline and into the circle, where he smashed a pass straight across the goal mouth. Mandeep Singh, a veteran of many a tap-in, was in the right place at the right time as he often tends to be and tapped it for the opener.

Within a minute, they'd made it two thanks to the brilliance of their captain. Shilanand Lakra won a penalty corner after some mazy dribbling from him inside the circle caused a stick-on-stick tackle. Harmanpreet's first attempt was blocked by the first rusher's foot and so was his second, but there was nothing stopping the third as he absolutely blootered one at the goalie - who stuck a foot out, but could do nothing but see it bounce off it and into the back of the net, such was the power behind the flick.

For the next half an hour India dominated proceedings. They passed the ball around well, kept probing for openings against the defense-first Japan unit, easily protected 150-cap man-of-the-day Krishan Pathak's goal and generally looked rather a notch or four above Japan's level. Even when facing PCs, and they did face a few, it rarely looked like India would concede. Until, that is, Kawabe got his first goal out of the blue.

A tricky Kimura ball from right to left was trapped superbly by Kawabe, who then twisted away from two defenders, bullied his way into space that appeared non-existent, turned on a coin and smashed a rocket of a reverse hit past Pathak. That goal led to a spell of chaos, which eventually saw India win a PC just a few seconds before the hooter marked the end of the third quarter.

Harmanpreet stepped up, and nailed his flick, sending it screaming through the keeper's legs and into the back of the net. For all of India's dominance, it was still just his skill with the dragflick that was keeping India above Japan's.

The fourth quarter was a rather strange one, neither team doing much until with two minutes to go Kawabe pulled off another stunner; trapping a wayward pass just before the baseline, somehow holding off the much larger Jarmanpreet Singh, turning tight and smashing one past sub keeper Suraj Kakreja and into the far corner.

There was jeopardy in the last minute after Harmanpreet was given a yellow, but Japan could only mount one serious attack against the ten-men and it was rall too easily seen off.

The win sees India enter the Super 4s, where the top two teams from each pool, will compete against each other in another round robin. China and Japan will fight for the last place from pool A, while Malaysia sealing their spot from pool B means the other spot will be decided when South Korea take on Bangladesh.

India's last match will be against Kazakhstan on September 1, with the bottom side of the pool having already conceded 20 goals against China and Japan.

You can relive the action right here: