KARACHI, July 16: Powered by three penalty corner strikes from Ghazanfar Ali and brilliant goalkeeping by Salman Akbar, Pakistan gave China a hockey lesson by scoring a facile 7-0 victory in the friendship series clash on a rainy Wednesday.

Playing under drizzle and thunder at UBL Sports Complex, both sides made a sluggish start. Pakistan could have gone ahead when captain Mohammad Sarwar set up Dilawar Hussain who missed the sitter in the 3rd minute.

After another attempt through Rehan Butt in the 8th minute, the home team went ahead when Ghazanfar found the target off the first penalty corner in the 15th minute.

Zahid Afzal came near scoring the second after some hard work by Shabbir Hussain in the 18th minute, but China goalkeeper Xiang Fe, who made some fine saves, averted the danger.

Pakistan, preparing for next month’s Champions Trophy, tested different players in both the halves, doubled the lead with Rehan slamming home past Xiang Fe in the 29th minute.

China threatened the Pakistani defences the very next minute when nimble-footed Song Yi dodged past a defender only to see his blistering hit being padded away by vigilant Mohammad Qasim.

Xiang Fe was alert each time the greenshirts pressed for the third through Ghazanfar and Shakeel Abbasi in the dying minutes of the first session.

The Pakistanis went on rampage after the breather and hammered in five goals with rain pelting down, while stand-in goalkeeper Salman Akbar produced a series of stunning saves to thwart the Chinese from scoring.

China’s Hu Liang tested Salman in the 41st minute from the left and the custodian timely stretched his right leg to repluse the goal-bound effort.

Hu Liang again penetrated the Pakistani circle barely 60 seconds later, but delayed in taking action or China may have reduced the lead.

Ghazanfar’s penalty corner conversion skills again bore fruit in the 48th minute as his Sohail Abbas-style push crashed into the roof of the net off the second short corner.

Salman, who was sidelined by the selectors after last year’s World Cup to accommodate retired Ahmad Alam, defended stoutly when he dived to block an indirect Song Yi effort on the second penalty corner.

Qasim and Salman seemed to be the perfect goalkeeping pair for Pakistan if one compares Ahmad’s performance under the bar in the match on July 13 in which he conceded two goals.

Ghazanfar, who plays both as right-half and centre-half, slammed his third with a direct try in the 62nd minute to consolidate Pakistan’s position, making it 4-0.

Pakistan team management gave centre-half Mohammad Saqlain ample opportunity by fielding him in both the sessions. The midfielder played the first half, while took the field again in the second session after a rest. Saqlain had also played the first game against China on July 13.

Ghazanfar, however, looked a better midfielder as compared to experienced Saqlain who had displayed a better game in the first match utilising his experience.

China caved in when Pakistan scored back-to-back goals through Saleem Khalid within a space of 60 seconds. Saleem was on target when he picked a rebound from Xiang Fe in the 64th minute.

The game slipped away from China’s grasp when Saleem netted his second goal in a similar fashion, Xiang Fe giving him a rebound in the 65th minute.

Sarwar, who has staged a comeback after being axed from the squad for the Australian tour earlier this year, made his presence felt for the first time by squaring a perfect pass into Shafiq-ul-slam’s path who scored his first goal in the 66th minute on his debut.

China are scheduled to play their last match of the tour against Pakistan Juniors at DHA Stadium at 4.00pm.