COLOGNE (Germany), Sept 1: Pakistan recovered from the defeat in the opener by the hosts to bring the South Koreans down to earth with a crushing 4-1 rout in the Champions Trophy hockey tournament Sunday.

Pakistan did better against South Korea, whose celebrations of a 3-2 upset over Australia Saturday were shortlived.

The green-shirted Pakistanis regrouped well from the unlucky 3-2 loss against Germany and made short work of the high-flying Koreans.

Mudassar Ali Khan and Mohammad Nadeem struck within five minutes for a comfortable 2-0 half-time lead.

Sohail Abbas on a penalty corner and a penalty stroke from Mohammad Sarwar raised the lead to 4-0 by the 51st minute before Shin Seok Kyo got a consolation goal for the Koreans.

Titleholders Germany left it late again against India when they registered a 3-2 win over the Asians.

German Captain Florian Kunz, who had failed to convert a penalty stroke in the first half, slotted home the 3-2 winner against India with three minutes left on the hosts’ seventh penalty corner.

The world champions Germany have a maximum six points from two games going into their final three matches against the Koreans, Olympic champions Netherlands and seven-time winners Australia.

Pakistan and Korea have three points apiece while the Dutch have four. India have one point while Australia have yet to get on the points sheet.

The top two teams from the league stage meet in next Sunday’s final.

That is where the Germans hope to be after another late win.

The hosts got a 20th-minute lead from Timo Wess and could have doubled the lead had not Kunz shot a penalty stroke wide just minutes later.

But India, fielding a talented team with several members of last year’s under-21 world championship-winning squad which drew 3-3 with the Dutch Saturday, levelled from Gagan Singh early in the second half.

Christian Wein restored Germany’s lead in the 58th on the rebound of Wess’ stroke against the left, teenager Jugraj Singh made it 2-2 after a penalty corner, but Kunz then denied the Asians another draw with Germany’s third.

In the last match of the evening, former world champions The Netherlands scored their first victory in the tournament when they swamped Australia 6-1.

Monday is a rest day.—dpa