Fiery Malaysia-India clash expected – even if the stakes are lower

Let me handle him: Malaysia’s Muhd Najmi Farizal Jazlan (left) trying to mark a China player.

KUALA LUMPUR: India and Malaysia have played each other 112 times in men’s hockey. India have won 77 times and Malaysia just 16 times.

Not only that. India also denied the Malaysian men’s hockey team a place in last year’s Rio Olympics when they won 3-2 in the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Hockey League Semi-Finals in Antwerp, Belgium.