Sanjay scores brace in India's 4-2 win over Austria

Sanjay converted two penalty corners to lead junior India men's hockey team to a comfortable 4-2 win over Austria in a classification game at the 8-Nations U-21 Invitational today. Being aggressive consistently paid dividends at the end of the first quarter as India won their first PC of the game. Sanjay converted from the ensuing drag-flick to give India the lead.

Sanjay scored his second goal of the game off another PC in the 23rd minute, as India put some distance between themselves and their opponents. The teams went into halftime with India leading 2-0.

Austria came out reinvigorated in the third quarter. Oliver Kern scored their first goal in the 34th minute, cutting India's lead to one. Within the minute though, the cushion was restored, Rahul Rajbhar scoring to make it 3-1. The quarter was a topsy turvy affair, the momentum shifting both ways with regularity.

In almost a replay of the previous quarter, Austria again came out of the blocks quicker, and in the 49th minute, Phillip Schippan scored. Again India responded when required with Prabhjot Singh scoring in the 51st minute, to restore the two goal lead.

India play in the 5-6 classification encounter Sunday.