The Indian hockey team will be up against Japan in the semifinal of the Hockey Asian Champions Trophy 2023 today (August 11) at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium in Chennai. India finished top of the table with 13 points after five matches, while Japan crawled through to the semifinal courtesy of goal difference.
But the interesting fact is that the Indian team's only draw in the tournament has come against Japan, whom the men in blue failed to beat as it ended in a 1-1 draw earlier in the group stages. Japan, on the other hand, will be hoping to gain confidence and hope from that result and cause a monumental upset.

The final hooter blows and it is a five-star performance from India as they book their berth for the Hockey Asian Champions Trophy 2023 Final. Harmanpreet Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Manpreet Singh, Sumit and Karthi Selvam scored the goals and the Indian team drubbed a hapless Japan side. They will be up against Malaysia in the Final tomorrow, while Japan will take on South Korea in the 3rd-place playoff.
Yuma Nagai makes an attempt but it looks like just for the sake of it. The effort is tame and goes way wide of the target.
Goaaaaaal!! Karthi Selvam scores India's 5th goal. The long ball from Harmanpreet Singh is trapped by Sukhjeet Singh and laid it to Selvam, who slots it past Yoshikawa to score his first and team's 5th goal of the match.
Double Save by Yoshikawa. The first shot was with his left foot, and then with his hand again to deny India's 5th goal.
Takuma Niwa is hit on his knee by the ball. The Japanese youngster is in distress but is able to carry on. That shot was travelling from Harmanpreet Singh!
India make a switch at the goal as PR Sreejesh is back as custodian for the final quarter. Japan need at least four goals in 15 minutes to have any say in this match.
Jugraj Singh makes a good run and then takes a swipe. But his shot is saved by Yoshikawa. That's it for the 3rd quarter, and the Indian team have extended their advantage in style as Sumit scored an excellent goal. We are now just 15 minutes away from the match and it can be safe to say that India will join Malaysia in the Final barring any shocker.
Goaaaaal!! A mesmerizing goal scored by Sumit to make it 4-0. Manpreet is involved again but as he found Sumit, the Indian player makes a superb run on the byline and then cuts back and hits it past the Japan keeper with a touch of finesse. Champagne Hockey from the Indian team.
Amit Rohidas takes a strong swipe but Yoshikawa makes a superb save. Then Gurjan t Singh's backhander is also well-saved by the Japan keeper.
Akashdeep Singh got the ball in a dangerous situation but his touch lets him down, and then Yoshikawa clears the ball away with his foot to deny the Indian attacker.
The 2nd half starts. Krishan Bahadur Pathak and Takashi Yoshikawa are brought in as keepers by India and Japan respectively.
India have completely taken over control in this 2nd quarter. Akashdeep Singh, Harmanpreet Singh and Mandeep Singh all have found the net as India lead Japan 3-0 at half time.
Goaaaaaal!! Mandeep Singh makes it 3-0 for India. An amazing run from Manpreet Singh from midfield as he swivelled past three Japanese defenders with ease. Ball comes to Mandeep and he converts it for the home side.
India are pressing high and Japan are struggling to cope with that. An aerial pass by Harmanpreet Singh comes for Sukhjeet, but he fails to control it properly.
Goaaaaaaal!! Captain Harmapreet Singh doubles the lead for India from the Penalty Corner. The ball injected from Hardik Singh was good, and the master of drag flick Harmanpreet makes no mistake and scores his 8th goal of the tournament.
Manpreet Singh comes forward for India with a driving run, but Shota Yamada comes across with a brilliant challenge for Japan. Another circle entry for India subsequently after a set of precision passing, and India is awarded a penalty corner.
Goaaaaaal!! Akashdeep Singh scores to give India the lead. A patient attack from the Indian team bears fruits for India. The ball came in from Hardik Singh and was saved by the Japan keeper, but Akashdeep slams the ball in from the rebound.
India's attack hasn't been that fluent so far. Japan have been largely successful to keep the likes of Mandeep Singh and Karthi Selvam quiet. Japan make a circle entry but Kosei Kawabe fails to get a touch at the far post and the ball goes out for an Indian free out.
Takumi Kitagawa has come on as the keeper for Japan in the 2nd quarter. Japan have also made a positive start in the 2nd quarter.
At the end of the 1st quarter, the score is 0-0 and India will be hoping to break the deadlock in the next quarter.
It has so far been a settled start for the Indian team. We haven't yet seen any guilt-edge opportunity for the home side, but they are dominating possession at the moment.
A dangerous move from Japan. Shota Yamada's ball across the goal was not met by Yuma Nagai. But the Japanese players are getting behind the Indian defense, which is alarming for the home side.
A fantastic circle entry for India but the ball is just beyond Karthi Selvam's reach. The ball was fantastic from Hardik Singh again and the ball across was dangerous.
Shamsher's Green Card means the Indian team will be a man down for the next two minutes. Lively start to the 2nd semifinal, but we are yet to see a goal in it.
Harmanpreet Singh takes a terrific drag flick but the Japanese keeper makes a decent save. In the counterattack, Shamser makes a bad challenge and is Green carded.
Jarmanpreet Singh wins a penalty corner for India within the 2nd minute of the match.
Here is the team lineup for India and Japan for the semifinal. We have started in Chennai.
The 2nd Semi-Final is upon us and India will look for the win in today's collasal match against the mighty Japan.
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PR Sreejesh is being felicitated ahead of the match for playing his 300th international match today. He gets a memento from Dilip Tirkey.
The proceeding has started at the Major Radhakrishnan Stadium. The National Anthems are up next and we start the game after that.
Japan beat India in the semifinal of the Hockey Asian Champions Trophy in 2021, when they shocked the world with a 5-3 victory. Japan were eventually the beaten finalists in that edition.
India: PR Sreejesh, Krishan Bahadur Pathak, Harmanpreet Singh (C), Amit Rohidas, Jarmanpreet Singh, Sumit, Jugraj Singh, Varun Kumar, Hardik Singh (VC), Shamsher Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Manpreet Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, Akashdeep Singh, S.Karthi, Gurjant Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Pawan, Mandeep Singh.
Japan: Shota Yamada, Yamato Kawahara, Seren Tanaka, Yoshiki Kirishita, Kentaro Fukuda, Taiki Takade, Takuma Niwa, Yuma Nagai, Manabu Yamashita, Raiki Fujishima, Ken Nagayoshi, Ryosei Kato, Ryoma Ooka, Masaki Ohashi (C), Genki Mitani, Kaito Tanaka, Kosei Kawabe, Takumi Kitagawa, Takashi Yoshikawa