The second edition of the Premier Hockey League got off to a high voltage start, with the Maratha Warriors brushing aside the challenge of defending champions Hyderabad Sultans 2-1 in Chandigarh on Thursday.
Shivender Singh put Maratha warriors ahead in the 17th minute with a powerful reverse hit.
Exemplary stick-work from Pakistan's Shakeel Abbasi went in vain as Hyderabad Sultans failed to capitalise on several excellent moves made by Samir Dad, Vikram Pillay and others.
Hemant Ghethe increased Maratha Warriors' lead with a field goal in the 42nd minute.
Towards the fag end of the match Devender Singh reduced the margin, scoring the lone goal for the defending champions.
Former India captain Dhanraj Pillay made some valiant attacks on the Sultans' goal but failed to get his name on the score sheet.
Both the teams missed several golden chances to score. Pakistan's Imran Warsi's direct shot at Hyderabad Sultan's goal was well-stopped by goalkeeper Salman Akbar in the initial moments of the game.
Shivender Singh and Vijay Alphonso of Maratha Warriors combined well to penetrate the deep defence of the Sultan but failed to give a positive finish to their moves.
Orissa steelers outplay Delhi Dazzlers
Earlier, displaying good combination and stick-work, Orissa Steelers outplayed Delhi Dazzlers to win their opening Tier II match 2-0.
Orissa Steelers, making their maiden appearance in the PHL, dominated both halves, leaving little for their opponents in the match.
Rajesh Chauhan sounded the board through a field goal in the 13th minute of the first half, before Steelers' captain Sunil Ekka sealed the Dazzlers' fate in the 65th, converting a penalty-corner.
The final score sheet would have been different had Cyprian Aind and Roshan Minz not missed golden opportunities to score field goals in the either half.
While the winners had two penalty-corners in the 48th and 65th minutes, Delhi Dazzlers' attempts to convert an equal number of penalty-corners, which they got in 34th and 58th minutes, were abortive.