Harmanpreet Singh struck again to put India back in front with a brilliant low drag-flick from a penalty corner. His effort beat Malaysian goalkeeper Marhan Jalil, with the ball squeezing past the defender stationed on the goal line. The Indian captain has now taken his tally to seven goals in the tournament.
India had earned the penalty corner following a goalmouth scramble involving Nilakanta Sharma and Sukhjeet Singh. Rajinder Singh briefly put the ball into the net after the whistle, but the effort was ruled out. Harmanpreet made no mistake with the resulting opportunity to give India a 2-1 lead.
India and Malaysia remained level at the break after Akhimullah Anuar cancelled out Harmanpreet Singh's early penalty-corner strike. India had several opportunities to regain the lead, with Harmanpreet rattling the crossbar with a powerful drag-flick before Mandeep Singh missed a close-range tap-in from just a yard out.
Malaysia also threatened on the counter and forced Indian goalkeeper Krishan Pathak into two excellent saves from penalty corners. Both sides will look to take control of the contest in the second half.
Malaysia drew level through Akhimullah Anuar, who reacted quickly inside the circle to poke the ball past Indian goalkeeper Krishan Pathak. The move began with Faiz Jali's slap into the circle, which was controlled by Faisal Saari before Akhimullah finished clinically.
India looked for an immediate response as Mandeep Singh and Sukhjeet Singh launched a quick attack straight from the restart. Sukhjeet found himself one-on-one with goalkeeper Hafizuddin, but the Malaysian custodian produced an excellent save to deny India the lead.
India created a promising counter-attacking opportunity through Nilakanta Sharma, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Rajinder Singh and Sukhjeet Singh, but the latter's reverse shot was comfortably saved by the Malaysian goalkeeper.
Malaysia responded with a penalty-corner opportunity after Harmanpreet Singh was penalised for not retreating five metres. Azimuddin's first drag-flick was stopped by Rajinder's brilliant rush, but the resulting second penalty corner produced a stunning save from Krishan Pathak, who dived to his right to keep India's lead intact.
Sunday's encounter carries additional significance as it brings back memories of the Asian Games final last month, where India defeated Malaysia 5-1 to secure the gold medal.
Malaysia will be eager to respond to that defeat and challenge the hosts on their home turf. India, meanwhile, will look to continue their dominance and strengthen their position at the top of the standings.
Malaysia have made an equally impressive start to the tournament, collecting nine points from their first three matches. Their attacking threat will be led by Abu Kamal Azrai, who has scored four goals in the competition so far.
The visitors are expected to test India's defensive structure with their pace and counter-attacking approach. India's defenders, particularly Sanjay and Amit Rohidas, will need to remain disciplined and avoid conceding unnecessary penalty corners.
Despite their comfortable 4-1 victory over Japan, India showed some defensive and transitional lapses during the opening three quarters. Those shortcomings could prove costly against a Malaysian side capable of quickly turning defensive situations into attacking opportunities.
India have looked dangerous in attack throughout the tournament, with captain Harmanpreet Singh leading from the front. The drag-flick specialist has scored five goals in three appearances and will once again be central to India's penalty-corner threat.
Forward Abhishek Nain is another player to watch. The youngster recently celebrated his 150th international appearance against Japan, marking the occasion with two impressive field goals. His movement, attacking intent and ability to create opportunities in open play will be important against Malaysia.
India's attacking unit will also look to maintain its scoring rhythm, with Mandeep Singh potentially returning to the starting XI after being rested for the Japan fixture.
