India entered the contest against Pakistan as the clear favourites, and the side displayed to the world why the divide between the two rivals on the hockey turf is widening. Skipper Harmanpreet Singh led from the front in the crucial Group D encounter to help India defeat Pakistan 5-3 to seal the qualification for the next round in the Men's Hockey World Cup. With this result, England and India became the two teams to qualify from Group D, while Pakistan were sent packing.
Heading into the contest, England made the task easy for India. With England winning against Wales, only a draw was needed for India to qualify for the next round. While nothing less than a victory would have been enough for Pakistan. Before the contest, the entire hockey world advised Pakistan to play it safe and not concede penalty corners.
Also Read: IND vs PAK Highlights: India beat Pakistan 5-3
However, Pakistan failed to do enough as the side conceded penalty corners after penalty corners, giving India a clear advantage. Harmanpreet and Abhishek struck goals in the first quarter to give India a 2-0 lead. The fixture eventually saw both Harmanpreet and Abhishek score braces.
Harmanpreet struck twice in the fifth and 21st minutes of the game, while Abhishek's two field goals were registered in the 11th and 24th minutes, respectively. Vice-captain Hardik Singh also got his name on the scoring sheet after registering a goal from a penalty stroke in the 35th minute.
{{/usCountry}}Harmanpreet struck twice in the fifth and 21st minutes of the game, while Abhishek's two field goals were registered in the 11th and 24th minutes, respectively. Vice-captain Hardik Singh also got his name on the scoring sheet after registering a goal from a penalty stroke in the 35th minute.
{{/usCountry}}Pakistan also scored three goals in the game, coming from Hannan Shahid (22nd, 46th) and Sufyan Khan (24th). However, in the end, India did enough to beat Pakistan and seal qualification for the next round.
‘Special win’
After the win, Abhishek was adjudged Player of the Match, and, speaking to the broadcaster, he said the win was truly special and that the side is now looking forward to doing well in the next round.
“Both teams played really well. Let’s see which teams are next, and we’ll plan accordingly. It’s good because it's the World Cup. In 2023, we lost in the pre-quarters. It’s special," said Abhishek.
More than 6,000 fans were in attendance for the encounter at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen, Netherlands. Earlier, the authorities had confirmed that the fixture was sold out. Both teams had quite a lot of support at the ground, but at the end, it was India that came out on top.