news-engine

India absolutely defeated arch-rivals Pakistan in their Pool D Hockey World Cup encounter, winning a close contest 5-3. This win enabled India to go through to the next round as the second-best team behind pool leaders England. as Captain Harmanpreet Singh and Abhishek opened India’s account in the first quarter before the skipper made it 3-0 in the second quarter. Pakistan found a goal back in the same quarter with Hannan Shahid but Abhishek scored his second to make it 4-1 and restore India’s 3-goal cushion. The cushion came down by a goal when Sufyan Khan slammed one into the India net to make it 4-2 with the second quarter ultimately yielding 4 goals–evenly distributed between the two teams. India made it 5-2 in the third quarter with Hardik Singh making no mistakes from a penalty stroke. Pakistan pulled another back to make it 5-3 with Shahid clinching his second in the 4th and final quarter. India had opened their campaign with a 3-1 win over Wales but suffered a 2-4 defeat against world No. 3 England after conceding three goals in the second half. Pakistan, meanwhile, drew 3-3 with Wales after losing 1-4 to England and will need a vastly improved performance to overcome their neighbours. India have enjoyed the upper hand in recent meetings and defeated Pakistan 7-1 and 4-3 in the European leg of the Pro League earlier this year. Pakistan’s last win over India came in the 2016 Champions Trophy. The gulf in recent performances is also reflected in their recent international record. India have won medals at the last two Olympics, while four-time World Cup champions Pakistan are making their return to the tournament after eight years, having failed to qualify for the 2014 and 2023 editions. The rivalry, however, has historically produced matches where form and rankings count for little. With a place in the next round at stake, both teams will also have to keep their emotions under control. Pakistan’s preparations have been far from ideal. They were embarrassed in their opening match against England when their penalty-corner protection equipment was left in the dressing room, while against Wales they squandered several opportunities before settling for a draw. The last time both teams met in a World Cup was in Delhi in 2010, when India, led by Rajpal Singh, defeated Pakistan 4-1. Pakistan subsequently missed the 2014 and 2023 World Cups and did not meet India in the 2018 edition. For Pakistan, only captain Mahmood and Ammad Butt have previous World Cup experience in the current squad, adding another dimension to a contest in which India started as favourites.