The inexperienced Malaysians were unable to upset their opponents’ plans despite closely marking the Kiwis. If the Black Caps were able to bounce back in the second session, it was mainly due to their superior fitness in the Indira Gandhi Gold Cup hockey tournament at the National Stadium here today.Had the Malaysian, who showed marked improvement in their game today - they even led by two goals till the 30th minute — endured the fast-pace tempo set in the initial stages of the contest, the complexion of the game could have been different.At one point of time, it looked difficult for the Kiwis to come back in match. But the Malaysian were not prepared for a long drawnout battle, which enabled the Kiwis to gain control of the proceedings.Armed with a superior fitness level, the Kiwis fought bravely in the second session, first reducing the margin and then slamming two more goals to win the contest.A tired-looking Malaysian outfit wasn’t able to endure the pace.Result: Kiwis 4 (Honour Dhillon, Kayla Sharlan, Krystal Forgesson 2) bt Malaysia 2 (Siti Noor A Ruhani, Kannagi Arumugam).
