India vs China, Hockey Asia Cup 2025 Highlights: Harmanpreet Scores Hat-trick As IND Beat CHN 4-3

India beat China 4-3 as the crowd goes wild in Rajgir, Bihar.

Penalty corner and China scores! The number 3 jersey from China scores the equaliser. Its 3-3 in the third penalty corner.

Harmanpreet Singh on the charge and he MISSES!!!! It has the post. Anti-climactic for India. India had the chance to increase the deficit. IND 3-2 CHN (Q3 - 10')

Harmanpreet Singh scores another for India. But the Chinese scores one right after to make the deficit to 1. IND 3-2 CHN (Q3-5')

Play resumes. Early penalty corner for China but goalkeeper KB Pathak anticipates well to save one. India have the possession and they induce a penalty corner. (Q3 - 3')

The half-time break has been taken here in Rajgir, and India could have extended their lead, but are still 2-1 ahead. They came up with a remarkable response in the second quarter. So far, India's two goals have been ruled out. 

India 2-1 China (HT)

Hardik goes off the field as he was shown the green card by the referee for committing a foul on a Chinese player. 

India 2-1 China (10') 2nd quarter

Goal! India are on fire at the moment in this second quarter as skipper Harmanpreet joins the party with a fiery PC conversion. The hosts are 2-1 ahead now.

India 2-1 China

Goal! Jugraj has done it for India as the hosts get the much-needed equaliser early in the second quarter. India got the PC, but Harmanpreet was out of the field. Jugraj stepped up and capitalised on the opportunity as there was no chance for the Chinese defenders to stop that shot. 

India 1-1 China (3') 2nd quarter

Goal! China have taken a 1-0 lead against the run of play. They got a PC towards the end of the first quarter and coverted it successfully, Sanjay got a touch on that shot but couldn't convert it due to the pace. 

India 0-1 China (12')

India have launched multiple attacks already and are keeping the ball more as well. China are only playing in the counter attack. The visitors have defended well so far. 

India 0-0 China (7')

India got the PC in the early minutes and converted it to take a 1-0 lead despite an early fumble. However, the goal has been ruled out due to a push inside the box by Mandeep on a Chinese defender.

India 0-0 China (3')

Wang Weihao (gk), Ao Xu, Chen Qijun, Gao Jiesheng, Chen Chengfu, Meng Yuanfeng, Chen Chongcong (c), Lu Yuanlin, Zhang Xiaojia, Meng Nan, Chen Benhai

KB Pathak (gk), Abhishek, Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Mandeep Singh, Harmanpreet Singh (c), Sumit, Raj Kumar Pal, Amit Rohidas, Sukhjeet, Sanjay

Both teams are already on the field, and the action is not far away from now. The honourable CM of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, is greeting the crowd and interacting with the players as well. This will be followed by the national anthems.  

Before the tournament began, Harmanpreet Singh, asked his team to keep their heads on their shoulders during the press conference.  “But we're approaching this tournament with the same mindset that we do during the Olympics or any other major event. All the teams are good and we are not taking anyone lightly.”

India will be captained by stalwart Harmanpreet Singh and coached by Craig Fulton, with a goodd mixture of experience in the squad meaning India have plenty of players who know how to handle themselves at this level. 

GOALKEEPERS: Krishan B Pathak, Suraj Karkera

DEFENDERS: Sumit, Jarmanpreet Singh, Sanjay, Harmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh

MIDFIELDERS: Rajinder Singh, Raj Kumar Pal, Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad.

FORWARDS: Mandeep Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Dilpreet Singh

There was certainly some optimism around Indian hockey after astrong finish at last year's Olympics and a team that was beginning to look at par with the giants of hockey in terms of fitness and quality, but the risk of that falling apart for an always inconsistent Indian team has struck again. 

A 7-match losing streak in particular towads the end of Pro League season stung and India are desperate for a bounce back from that. 

As is almost tradition with India, the offence has the stick skills and the ability to retain possession that allows them to control games- but the shakiness at the back has meant that tunovers and counter attacks have proven crucial through the Pro League. China is a team that could potentially thrive on that being the state of the game, so India need to keep it locked down at the back and lungs must be busted to ensure cheap goals aren't given away. 

The good news for India is there a falloff in leveal in between the hockey they faced in the Pro league and what they will see in the Asia Cup, here India are the front runners. In their last 24 matches against China, India have won 18 matches, losing only thrice. History points in their direction. 

The men's hockey Asia Cup begins today. Japan and Kazakhstan will get things going in Bihar but the big game of the day is hosts India pairing up against China as they begin their campaign with eyes on lifting the trophy for the fourth time.