The last match between India and Japan ended in a draw that was dominated by the host but frustratingly defended by the reigning Asian Games champion to blunt the battery of Indian attacks. On Friday, India will be looking to find a way to break it down as it seeks a spot in the final.
Having finished unbeaten on top of the pool table, India will be looking to go all the way as it builds up to the big-ticket Asian Games in just over a month. The ACT will be the last competitive outing for the team and a final chance for Craig Fulton to fine-tune his plans and see his players in action before the home stretch of training and finalising his squad.
It won’t be easy, though. Japan finished fourth on the table, its lone win in the last league match enough to put it above Pakistan but the team has constantly pushed its opponents even in games it has lost. It was also the only team to deny India’s battery of drag-flickers with Raiki Fujishima, Shota Yamada and Ken Nagayoshi repeatedly making suicidal runs during PC defence.
