Aichi-Nagoya: Dilpreet Singh delivered a four-goal performance as the Indian men's hockey team commenced their Asian Games campaign with an emphatic victory against Indonesia in their Pool A fixture on Sunday.

India established an early lead when Shilanand Lakra opened the scoring in the fifth minute. Dilpreet Singh quickly created a second goal by setting up Abhishek with a cut-back pass to finish into an unguarded net in the 12th minute, securing a 2-0 advantage by the close of the opening quarter.

Dilpreet then added his name to the scoresheet following build-up play involving Sumit and Abhishek in the 18th minute.

The offensive pressure persisted as Dilpreet converted a second tap-in just a minute later, connecting with a cross drilled from the left flank by Ranjit at the far post, according to ESPN.

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After turning provider, Rajinder Singh extended the lead by turning home a rebound in the 19th minute following an initial attempt by Dilpreet. Mandeep Singh added a fifth goal in the 21st minute, deflecting a square pass from Sukhjeet Singh past the goalkeeper after Hardik Singh initiated the move.

Team captain Harmanpreet Singh joined the scorers in the 28th minute, converting a penalty corner to conclude the longest stretch of the half without an Indian goal. The national team went into the half-time break leading 7-0.

Indonesia pulled a goal back in the second half when Al Ardh Aulia scored in the 33rd minute. However, India responded swiftly with three goals over the subsequent five minutes, with Lakra registering his second in the 35th minute before Dilpreet completed his hat-trick from close range in the 37th minute following a pass from Jarmanpreet Singh.

Sukhjeet Singh added another in the 38th minute, converting a rebound after a shot from Dilpreet was denied, extending the tally to 10-1.

Sukhjeet then converted a penalty corner in the 46th minute and scored again in the 48th minute, before Dilpreet netted his fourth goal of the match in the 49th minute to cap off the scoring.

India will next face Sri Lanka on Tuesday as they pursue further success at the continental competition.

The eight-time Olympic gold medallists are aiming to add to their four Asian Games gold medals. In the final of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, India secured the top spot on the podium under Harmanpreet's leadership with a 5-1 victory over Japan.

A gold-medal finish at the current Asian Games would guarantee India direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

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Historically, the Indian men's team has maintained a consistent podium record at the Asian Games, missing out on a medal only during the 2006 Games in Doha, where they finished fifth. Across all editions, India has also collected nine silver medals and three bronze medals.

A successful campaign in Japan would mark a key milestone for head coach Craig Fulton and captain Harmanpreet following an eighth-place finish at the recent FIH Men's Hockey World Cup.

Indian Men's Hockey Squad: Harmanpreet Singh (captain), Mohith HS, Suraj Karkera, Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh, Sanjay, Sumit, Yashdeep Siwach, Rajinder Singh, Raj Kumar Pal, Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Dilpreet Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Sukhjeet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Abhishek.

ANI