India manages to hold Pakistan 1-1 in the fourth test

Lahore, Feb 22 (UNI) India survived harrowing time while Pakistan missed chances galore as the two teams played a 1-1 draw in the fourth hockey test match at National Stadium here today.

For Pakistan,who led 1-0 at half time,Mohd.Imran converted a penalty corner to give them the lead in the 19th minute.India equalised through Tejbir who scored inthe eight minute before the final whistle.

Pakistan leads the six -match series 3-1,having won all the three test of the Indian leg.

The 15,000 strong crowd witnessed a lackluster hockey and must have been surprised the way their team muffed up the chances.

Pakistan should have won the match by a six goal margin but Shabbir and Shakeel Abbasi missed open chances and that cost the host a chance to go up 4-0 in the series.

Indian forwards were devoid of any planning and ideas while right midfielder Arjun Halappa was heavily marked.

The Pakistanis forced three quick penalty corners and off the third Imran converted it with a powerful drag flick.

Indians failed to earn any penalty corner as their strikers lacked the sting.However they were saved from huge embarrassment by "man of the match" goalkeeper Bharat Chetri who brought off some good saves.

Pakistanis attacked from all sides but outside left Shabbir failed to convert three superb crosses from Rehan Butt.

Chetri worked over time to foil the attacks and also Indians were helped by poormarksmen ship of their rivals.

Then it was the turn of Shakeel Abbasi to miss open chances.Twice he was set up by skipper Mohd.Saqlain but once he shot wide and other time he failed to beat the goalkeeper.

The Indian equaliser came against the run of play as Arjun Hallapa relayed the ball to Tejbir from top of the circle and Saqlain was surprisingly very lethargic in clearing the ball.The Indian striker shot home much to the surprise of goalkeeper Salman Akbar.

Couple of minutes later the Indians had a chance to go up but Tejbir's cross was muffed by Shivinder Singh who failed to tap it home.

The Indian forwards-Rajpal Singh,Shivinder,Didar Singh and Tushar Khandekar-hardly looked incisive.Only Arjun Halappa,,defender Harpal Singh and Bharati Chetri putup a creditable display.

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