CHINA: Unbeaten Indian Men's Hockey Team registered a thrilling 2-1 victory against nemesis Pakistan in the much-awaited encounter between the Asian heavyweights here at the Asian Champions Trophy 2024 on Saturday.
It was Captain Harmanpreet Singh's (13', 19') brace that ensured India ended the league stage unbeaten and at the top of the points table. For Pakistan, Ahmad Nadeem (8') scored the lone goal.
Both teams lived up to the billing as they kept up the tempo from end to end. Although India made an aggressive start to the match with a couple of circle entries in the opening minutes, it was Pakistan that drew first blood through Ahmad Nadeem in the eighth minute.
Pakistan were cautious in their pursuit as they worked a structured attack. After taking a couple of shots on target, they were successful in their third, with Hannan Shahid making an impressive run through the middle and passing it to Nadeem, who found the back of the net with ease from close range.
India fought back and scored an equalizer in the 13th minute as Captain Harmanpreet Singh made no mistake in converting their first penalty corner of the match. The final minutes saw some end-to-end action, but neither side could find an opening, and the first quarter ended in a 1-1 gridlock.
India started the second quarter brightly and were 2-1 ahead in the 19th minute as Harmanpreet converted the second penalty corner of the match, putting Pakistan on the back foot.
India had a better share of possession in the following minutes, but couldn't create much danger as they kept losing the ball frequently. Pakistan, on the other hand, managed to create a half-chance, but Nadeem's pass missed Rooman at the goalmouth.
They also earned their first penalty corner at the stroke of the half time, but Sufiyan Khan's drag-flick hit the bar, and India ended the first half with a slender 2-1 lead.
India controlled the ball at the start of the third quarter, with flank-to-flank passing to push Pakistan deep into their circle. A mistimed tackle by Sufiyan Khan on Araijeet Singh Hundal at the top of the circle earned India their third penalty corner of the match, but Harmanpreet's drag-flick was blocked by Pakistan's first-rusher.
The latter phase of the third quarter saw Pakistan increase their intensity. They earned a series of penalty corners, but Indian goalie Krishan Pathak stood tall to deny Pakistan an equaliser and ended the quarter with a 2-1 lead.
India earned back-to-back penalty corners at the start of the final quarter, but Pakistan's defense averted the danger. Tempers flared as both teams pushed each other from one end to the other, searching for an opening. Ashraf Waheed Rana received a 10-minute yellow card for a physical foul on Jugraj Singh in India's circle.
With the extra man, India mounted pressure on Pakistan with relentless attacks but missed out on capitalising as they kept losing possession in the final third. With two minutes to go, Manpreet Singh received a yellow card, leaving both teams with 10 men apiece.
India earned another penalty corner with 90 seconds left on the clock, but Harmanpreet's shot was blocked, and the rebound was missed by the Indian forward. The defending champions then ran down the clock to edge past Pakistan in what was an intense clash of the tournament.
Hero of the Match, Nilakanta Sharma said, "I know when I have the ball, I don't want to lose the ball, so just protect the ball, that's the motive for me. Pakistan gave us a wonderful fight. Although we won the match, we were not happy because we kept losing the ball and it got us in trouble, so we need to improve.”
India will play the semifinal 2 of the Asian Champions Trophy 2024 on Monday. Their opponents will be decided after the last league stage match of the tournament.