New Delhi, Sept. 25 -- The Indian women's hockey team passed its first significant test of the Asian Games with flying colours, registering a comprehensive 3-1 victory over world No.11 Japan.

After embarking on a ruthless scoring spree in their opening fixtures-hammering Uzbekistan 19-0, Indonesia 17-1 and Thailand 20-1-world No. 8 India demonstrated that they can pivot seamlessly from sheer attacking firepower to structured, tactical dominance against a formidable Asian rival.

Operating as a cohesive unit, India set the tempo from the opening whistle and dictated the flow of the match. The forward line found immediate success when Lalremsiami (5th minute) breached the Japanese defence, putting India ahead 1-0.

Maintaining a firm grip ...