India’s unbeaten run against Pakistan has now stretched to 3,842 days after they secured another victory in Amstelveen on Wednesday, August 19. However, the latest encounter proved to be a serious test of character for Harmanpreet Singh and his teammates, with Pakistan pushing India all the way.
Two goals from captain Harmanpreet Singh and another from Abhishek put India in a commanding position early in the match. Pakistan, however, refused to surrender and fought their way back into the contest. Hannan Shahid scored twice, while Sufyan Khan also found the net, leaving India under considerable pressure. A penalty stroke converted by Hardik Singh ultimately proved decisive as India held on for the win.
The victory sent India through to the second round alongside England, who defeated Wales 8-2 to top Pool D. India will next face the Netherlands, as well as either Argentina or New Zealand, who will meet on Thursday to determine their position in the next round.
INDIA MOVE AWAY FROM OVERLY DEFENSIVE APPROACH
Before the Pakistan clash, PR Sreejesh had stressed that India should avoid being excessively defensive. He believed such an approach could work against stronger opponents, where absorbing pressure before launching counter-attacks can be effective.
Pakistan, however, were a side India had comfortably beaten 7-1 in their previous meeting, and there was an expectation that India would make a strong start. With the Wagener Stadium sold out, the home support demanded an aggressive opening, and India responded immediately.
From the opening minute, India applied intense pressure, with the forwards pressing high and forcing Pakistan into mistakes. The turnovers created opportunities, and India earned two penalty corners in the fifth minute.
Harmanpreet, who has been in excellent form throughout the tournament, made no mistake from the set piece to put India ahead.
India continued to maintain the pressure. Their forward line had struggled to create enough openings during the tournament, entering the game with only one field goal. That number doubled in the 11th minute when Abhishek showcased brilliant stick work inside the circle, beating defenders before his deflected effort found the net.
At the end of the opening quarter, India had registered seven shots, 10 circle entries and four penalty corners, leaving Pakistan struggling to cope with the intensity.
QUARTER OF CHAOS
The second quarter offered a reminder of the fast-paced encounters that characterised India-Pakistan hockey during both teams’ strongest eras. The match turned into an end-to-end battle, with both sides launching counter-attacks.
Although India had dominated the statistics in the opening quarter, Pakistan had already shown glimpses of danger with several incursions into the Indian circle.
India’s ability to transition quickly from defence into attack remained one of their biggest strengths.
India earned another penalty corner in the 21st minute, with Harmanpreet opting for a variation. Rajinder’s attempt was saved by the Pakistan goalkeeper. Soon after, Harmanpreet finished off a quick move following an Indian regain to extend the lead to 3-0.
The game then descended into chaos.
Pakistan finally opened their account through Hannan Shahid. His first attempt took an awkward deflection off the turf and was kept out by Suraj Karkera, who also denied the follow-up effort. Shahid reacted fastest to the rebound, however, guiding the ball into the far corner to make it 3-1.
India restored their three-goal advantage only minutes later. Abhishek produced another impressive run into the Pakistan circle, and his deflected shot ended up in the net.
Pakistan responded almost immediately by winning a penalty corner, which Sufiyan Khan converted to reduce the deficit to 4-2 going into half-time.
INDIA FIND CONTROL THROUGH VIVEK
India’s midfield had struggled during their recent 2-4 defeat to England, particularly in the final quarter when they were overpowered by their opponents. Against Pakistan, they needed someone capable of controlling the tempo, and Vivek Sagar Prasad provided that influence.
Vivek has previously spoken about his interest in chess and how the strategic thinking involved in the game can be applied to hockey. That quality was evident during the third quarter, when India needed their midfield to manage the transition between defence and attack.
Despite not being among the biggest players physically, Vivek’s reading of the game allowed him to disrupt Pakistan’s pressure and quickly move possession forward.
One such move eventually led to India’s fifth goal.
Vivek received the ball and spread play to Jarmanpreet, who then found Arjun Lallage. Pakistan’s Arshad fouled Lallage, prompting the referee to award a penalty stroke.
With Harmanpreet off the pitch, Hardik Singh took responsibility and calmly converted the chance to score what ultimately became the winning goal.
PAKISTAN SHOW THEY CAN COMPETE
Pakistan had not beaten India since February 2016, with their only positive result during that period coming from a 2-2 draw at the 2022 Asia Cup. They also suffered a heavy 10-2 defeat to India at the 2023 Asian Games, along with several other significant losses.
Given that history, Pakistan entered the contest as clear underdogs.
However, the Men in Green demonstrated considerable determination and fighting spirit. Despite difficulties surrounding hockey in Pakistan, there have been signs of improvement, and their performance against India provided further evidence of that progress.
Even after India appeared to have the match under control, Pakistan continued to attack and apply pressure. Their persistence paid off in the 46th minute when they forced an error and broke through the Indian defence, allowing Shahid to score his second goal and set up a tense finish.
The sustained pressure forced India to retreat into defensive positions more frequently. Both sides began making mistakes, but Pakistan appeared to have greater control and posed the bigger attacking threat.
India’s task became even more difficult when Lallage received a yellow card with less than five minutes remaining, forcing India to finish the match with 10 players.
Pakistan ultimately failed to complete the comeback, but coach Abu Baker was satisfied with the character shown by his players.
He admitted that the first quarter had been poor but said the team changed its structure in the second half and showed enough quality to reduce the deficit to 3-5.
Pakistan had initially targeted a place in the top eight, but with that objective now out of reach, Abu Baker said the team would instead focus on finishing ninth or 10th and securing victories in their remaining matches.
Based on the performance they produced against India, that target now appears within their reach.
