Star drag-flicker Diwakar Ram fashioned an emphatic 3-1 win over Pakistan with a spectacular brace as India stormed into the Sixth Junior Asia Cup final after a violence-marred semi-final in Hyderabad on Wednesday.
After Gurwinder Singh Chandi opened India's account in the 15th minute, Diwakar came up with twin second-half strikes to take the game away from Pakistan.
In between, Kashif Ali (42nd) reduced the margin for the visitors but in the end, it was just not enough.
India withstood Pakistan's early onslaught before taking control of the proceedings and Chandi scored an exceptional goal through a reverse flick to put India in the lead in the 15th minute.
The match, however, took an ugly turn in the 31st minute when a scuffle broke out among players following a brawl between Pakistani player Muhammad Irfan and Chandi.
Soon they were joined by other teammates and blows were exchanged, at the end of which Irfan, who was eventually shown the yellow card, was seen bleeding.
The umpires called both Pakistan captain Shafqat Rasool and his Indian counterpart Gurbaj Singh and the match resumed with Pakistan playing with just 10 members.
Soon after resumption, Diwakar scored from a penalty-corner to make it 2-0 but the Pakistanis refused to throw in the towel.
Kashif reduced one by converting a penalty-corner in the 42nd minute but Diwakar rose to the occasion again on the 47th minute, sounding the board from India's third penalty-corner.
India got one more penalty-corner, which they could not translate into goal and survived some torrid moments later as Pakistan forced three penalty-corners only to squander them.
In Friday's final, defending champions India will meet South Korea, who beat Japan 4-2 in the other semi-final played under lights.
Pakistan and Japan will clash in the third place play-off.
Nam Hyun Woo scored all the goals for South Korea from penalty-corner flicks while Kenji Kitazato and Ryeohi Kawai accounted for Japan's goals.
Photograph and Text: PTI
