Jalandhar gave India a loud Thursday evening, and the home team answered with goals. India beat China 5-2 in their second match of the Asian Champions Trophy on Thursday, turning a tight first half into a comfortable win with a sharp burst of scoring after the break.
Captain Harmanpreet Singh and Sukhjeet Singh scored two goals each. Jugraj Singh added the fifth from a penalty corner. For China, Yang Peng and Chen Chongcong both scored from penalty corners, and for a while in the first half the young visiting side made India work hard for every opening.
The result leaves India with six points from two matches. After the 13-0 win over Bangladesh in the tournament opener, India now have a goal difference of 16, which puts them on top of the pool standings, ahead of Malaysia and Japan, who also have six points each.
Sukhjeet opens the scoring with a lovely lob
India started on the front foot and kept pushing into the Chinese circle, but the first clear chance took time to arrive. It came in the 12th minute, and it was worth the wait. Sukhjeet controlled an aerial ball with neat stick work and lobbed it over the advancing Chinese goalkeeper to break the deadlock.
China did not fold. They earned their first penalty corner in the 18th minute, India held firm, and then India wasted back-to-back penalty corners of their own in the 20th minute, with Harmanpreet flicking wide.
China hit back, then Harmanpreet answers at once
The equaliser arrived in the 26th minute. Yang Peng converted China’s second penalty corner with a drag-flick past Indian goalkeeper Krishan Pathak, and suddenly the game had a different feel.
India’s response was immediate. A minute later, Harmanpreet found the net with a powerful low flick from India’s third penalty corner to restore the lead. China then won consecutive penalty corners just before half-time, but the Indian defence stood tall and the hosts went into the break 2-1 ahead.
That quick answer mattered. It stopped China building momentum from the equaliser, and it gave India something to protect when the teams came back out.
Three goals in quick time after the break
India came out with more intent in the second half. Harmanpreet scored again in the 31st minute, another grounded flick from a penalty corner, to make it 3-1. Three minutes later Sukhjeet struck for the second time, finishing from close range after Aditya Arjun Lalage controlled an aerial ball from Harmanpreet and set him up.
At 4-1, the game looked done. China thought otherwise. Chen Chongcong pulled one back in the 36th minute with a clever penalty corner variation, and at 4-2 the visitors still had belief.
India kept their shape, kept pressing, and earned back-to-back penalty corners early in the final quarter. This time Jugraj made no mistake, firing home with a powerful grounded flick in the 47th minute to seal the 5-2 win.
What stood out for India
The scoreline tells only part of the story. The penalty corner routine looked sharp when it mattered, and Sukhjeet’s two field goals showed a different threat, movement and touch inside the circle rather than set-piece power.
- Penalty corners decided the rhythm: three of India’s five goals came from penalty corners, while both of China’s goals came the same way.
- Sukhjeet’s finishing: a lob to open the scoring and a close-range finish for the second, both taken with calm control.
- Quick replies: India scored within a minute of conceding the equaliser, and never let China draw level again.
China deserve credit too. This was a youthful side, and they kept finding ways back into the game through penalty corners, scoring at 1-1 and again at 4-2 when many teams would have faded.
Japan next on Friday
India now face Japan on Friday in Jalandhar, and that match has a sharper edge than a routine pool game. Japan also have six points, so the winner will take a clear step towards the top of the standings.
India will want a cleaner start and fewer penalty corners conceded. The goals are flowing, 18 in two matches, but the two goals against China were a reminder that set pieces at the other end can hurt.
For now, though, this was another home win, another brace for the captain, and another night when Jalandhar watched its team play on the front foot.
FAQs
What was the final score between India and China?
India beat China 5-2 at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar on Thursday, 29 October 2026.
Who scored for India against China?
Sukhjeet Singh scored in the 12th and 34th minutes, captain Harmanpreet Singh converted penalty corners in the 27th and 31st minutes, and Jugraj Singh added a penalty corner goal in the 47th minute.
Who scored for China?
Yang Peng scored in the 26th minute and Chen Chongcong scored in the 36th minute, both from penalty corners.
Where does India stand in the Asian Champions Trophy?
India top the pool standings with six points from two matches and a goal difference of 16. Malaysia and Japan also have six points each.
Who do India play next?
India face Japan on Friday, 30 October, in Jalandhar.
India will look to make it three wins in a row against Japan on Friday, with the pool standings still wide open.
