Hockey India League: Delhi Waveriders trounce Kalinga Lancers

New Delhi, Jan 30:

Delhi Waveriders outplayed Kalinga Lancers 5-0 in their first home game of the Hockey India League (HIL) at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here Thursday.

Drag-flick specialist Rupinder scored twice (13th and 29th minute) from penalty corners while the field goals came from Australian Matt Ghodes (21st), Danish Mujtaba (48th) and Lloyd Norris Jones (53rd).

The hosts put up a clinical display and made the HIL first-timers pay for their defensive errors to earn their second win in three matches. The Odisha have now suffered defeats in their opening two games.

Rupinder got Delhi ahead with a neat flick on the right side of goalkeeper Triston Clemons.

Ghodes made it 2-0, running past two Kalinga defenders before tricking the goalie.

Delhi could have scored more field goals as the opposition defenders looked completely out of sync.

The second quarter saw Rupinder netting his second goal from another penalty corner, catching Clemons off guard with a rasping grounded shot to the right, much to the delight of the Delhi co-owner, who was seen rooting for his team in the company of cricketer Yuvraj Singh.

Strikes from Mujtaba and Norris Jones made it 5-0.

It never looked Kalinga would a produce counter-attack. They also squandered three penalty corners.

(IANS)