HULUNBUIR: Skipper Harmanpreet Singh scored a brace as defending champions India beat Korea 3-1, registering their fourth consecutive win at the Hero Asian Champions Trophy on Thursday.
Paris Olympics bronze medallist India had previously defeated China 3-0 and Japan 5-0 before thrashing last year's runners-up Malaysia 8-1.
Already assured of a semi-final berth, India will face arch-rivals Pakistan on Saturday in their last league match of the six-team competition.
The top four teams from the league stages will qualify for the semi-finals, scheduled for Monday, while the final is set to be played next Tuesday.
India continued their fine form, striking twice early in the first quarter to take a 2-0 lead.
Araijeet Singh Hundal, who scored a brace against Malaysia, netted the first goal in the eighth minute after being fed by Sukhjeet Singh. A minute later, the promising Raj Kumar Pal, who had struck a hat-trick against Malaysia on Wednesday, earned a penalty corner for India, which captain Harmanpreet converted with a powerful drag flick.
Harmanpreet, regarded as one of the world's best drag flickers, would go on to convert two penalty corners, in the ninth and 43rd minutes, to seal India's victory.
Korea's lone goal was scored by Jihun Yang in the 30th minute from a penalty corner, after a deflection off Manpreet Singh's stick.
As has been the case in the tournament so far, the Indians started on an aggressive note, with Araijeet handing his side the lead with a brilliant strike. India’s reserve goalkeeper, Suraj Karkera, was impressive under the bar, denying Korea on several occasions in the second quarter.
After a strong first quarter, the Indians seemed to go into their shell in the next 15 minutes, allowing Korea to dominate the proceedings with continuous forays on the Indian defence. However, the Indian defence stood tall, until Korea pulled one back just at the stroke of half-time.
The Koreans secured back-to-back penalty corners in the 35th minute, but India defended bravely.
India earned their second penalty corner two minutes later but wasted the opportunity.
India managed to restore their two-goal lead in the 43rd minute when Harmanpreet scored with a powerful low flick to the left of Korean goalkeeper Jaehan Kim.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Jarmanpreet Singh conceded a penalty corner, but the Indian defence was equal to the task. Thereafter, India controlled the proceedings and did not let Korea create any further scoring opportunities.