Karnataka rallied superbly after trailing by a goal at half-time to hold giant-killers Bhopal to a 2-2 draw in the quarter-final league of the 41st Bombay Gold Cup hockey tournament at the Mahindra Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday.
Bhopal, who had ousted reigning champions Air-India in the second round, drew first blood when centre forward Osaf-ur-Rehman scored off an Asad Kamal pass in the fourth minute.
The Karnataka forwards toiled hard, forcing as many as four penalty corners, but Bhopal goalkeeper A Aleem was alert and foiled all their attempts.
Bhopal made it 2-0 with a quick counterattack when their centre half Amjad Khan scored from a cross by skipper Altaf-ur-Rehman from the left flank.
The Karnataka forwards got the breakthrough in the 53rd minute when their skipper Rama Rao sounded the boards from the fifth penalty corner.
The equaliser for Karnataka came seven minutes before the final hooter when inside left A K Kaven converted their sixth penalty corner.
The teams thus had to be content with a point each.
