Air India, PSB in Nehru hockey final

Air India, Punjab and Sind Bank storm into Nehru Hockey final Air India and Punjab and Sind Bank registered contrasting victories to storm into the final of the Nehru-ONGC hockey tournament in Delhi on Tuesday.

Striker Tushar Khandekar scored a brace as Air India thrashed Bharat Petroleum 4-1, while Punjab and Sind Bank edged out Railways XI 3-2 in the other semi-final.

Both BPCL and Air India probed each other's defence unsuccesfully for 20 minutes before fullback Lakhwinder Singh blasted in an accurate Hardeep Singh pass to put the international carrier team ahead.

Just three minutes later, Air India tightened their grip as striker Tushar struck a spectacular goal, utilising the new experimental rule, from just inside the 25 yard line.

The Petroleum team got the breakthrough in the 27th minute as Sandip Somesh's scoop, off the second penalty corner that his team earned, left rival custodian Adrian D'Souza stranded.

BPCL tried to claw their way back riding on two penalty-corners, in the 38th and 40th minutes, but D'Souza deflected the full-blooded shots with some acrobatics saves.

It was Tushar who consolidated Air India's lead as he sounded the board again, off a cunning pass from Kishore Kumar from the left flank, to make it 3-1.

With just four minutes left into the match, Roshan Tete drove the last nail into BPCL's coffin, scoring a brilliant field goal.

In an absorbing second semi-final, Railways made agressive forays into the rival area, but were met with a matching display of stickwork from Punjab and Sind Bank.

Spirited attacks and counter-attacks continued for 28 minutes before Railways scored the first goal, when Suleman tapped in a scoop from Chander Pal.

PSB heightened the attack thereafter and finally the equaliser came their way through a field goal by Parminder Singh.

The bankers surged ahead as Rajinder Singh found the mark with the fifth penalty-corner the team earned.

The railmen, desperate to overcome the disparity in scores, attacked with renewed vigour and raided the rival penalty area numerous times, but only to meet with stiff resistence from the PSB defenders and goalkeeper Aloysious Edwards.

The bankers gained in strength with one more field goal produced by Baljit Singh Chandi in the 55th minute and the scoreline read 3-1.

Just when PSB began showing hints of complacency, Railways forward Mukhtiar Singh launched a blitzkrieg in the penultimate minute and singlehandedly beat rival midfielders and the custodian to score the second one for his team. They just needed one more to progress, but time ran out.