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India vs Pakistan: Old rivalry, new stakes — the vulnerabilities and key players that could decide the clash
India have won their last seven meetings against Pakistan and 26 of their last 34 since the 2000s
The rivalry is no longer what it once was. What began as one of the fiercest rivalries in hockey history eventually became a Pakistan-dominated contest, before India began turning the tables in the 2010s. India have now gone unbeaten against their arch-rivals this decade.
Yet, Wednesday's final Pool D match at the ongoing FIH Men's Hockey World Cup 2026, in front of a sold-out crowd at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen, Netherlands, promises to be a thriller because of what is at stake — a place in the second round.
India's task is relatively straightforward. They beat Wales 3-1 in their opener before defensive lapses cost them against England, who scored three times in the second half to overturn a 2-1 deficit and win 4-2. Pakistan, meanwhile, lost 1-4 to England before being held to a 3-3 draw by Wales.
Deep Dive
India, with three points from two matches, therefore need only a draw against Pakistan to stay alive in the tournament. Pakistan, with one point, must win to keep their campaign alive.
Harmanpreet Singh's men will be the favourites, not only because of their recent dominance — India have won their last seven meetings against Pakistan and 26 of their last 34 since the 2000s — but also because they beat them 4-3 in the European leg of the Pro League earlier this summer.
The gulf between the two sides has also become increasingly evident. India have won medals at the last two Olympics, while four-time World Cup champions Pakistan are returning to the tournament after an eight-year absence, having failed to qualify for the 2014 and 2023 editions.
But India will not take the contest lightly, particularly with their place in the next round at stake.
"The match against Pakistan will be good, but we are not underestimating them. They also have good drag-flickers, so we will have to avoid giving them penalty corners. We must also create opportunities and capitalise on them. We must focus on our natural game," India's most experienced player, Manpreet Singh, who has 419 international caps, said.
Pakistan captain Abu Bakar Mahmood, meanwhile, insisted that rankings and past results would have little bearing on the contest.
"Rankings or past performance don't matter in a match between India and Pakistan. The team that plays well on match day will win, and we know how important this match is for our hockey, so we will leave no stone unturned," he said.
Where will the match be won or lost?
Pakistan will surely have studied India's defeat to England closely, particularly the defensive frailties that emerged after the break.
India made a strong start, scoring twice in the second quarter to take a 2-1 lead, but their defensive intensity dropped after halftime, allowing England to take control and eventually win 4-2.
"The first half was good. We got PCs on the counter-attack and came back nicely with a bit more control. In the third quarter, our defence was not as good as it was supposed to be," India head coach Craig Fulton said after the match.
"England played like a world number three team. We created a few chances but couldn't convert those."
Fulton also identified the areas India need to improve against Pakistan.
"We just have to be better on the ball in the final match and show a bit of composure. We needed to press out and put some pressure on them," he said. "The forward line played well but we needed to score three-plus goals and we could only score two. It's just the second match and we will learn from this loss. We have another big opportunity against Pakistan and the boys are motivated for that."
This is where Pakistan will count on Abu Bakar Mahmood. With India's defence shaky, Pakistan will look to win penalty corners on the counter and leave the rest to their captain's drag-flicking prowess.
India, meanwhile, will need to improve their own penalty-corner conversion. They scored only once from four opportunities against England.
"We were trying variations on PCs but they defended well. We cannot underestimate any team. Pakistan also have good penalty corner specialists, so we must not concede PCs against them. We have to earn more PCs in the upcoming matches," Manpreet said after the England defeat.
And if India do win those opportunities, there is perhaps no better player to call upon than captain Harmanpreet Singh, who has already scored three goals at this World Cup.
Pakistan hockey legend Samiullah Khan understands the threat and has already issued a warning to his team's current crop.
"I would advise Pakistan captain to keep a compact defence and not concede any penalty corners to India in the first quarter," Samiullah, now Pakistan's chief selector, told PTI. "My suggestion to the midfielders is to advance towards the goal instead of passing backwards. The forwards will have to score through diagonal and interchange passes."
Pakistan's preparations have also been far from ideal. They were embarrassed in their opening match against England when their penalty-corner protective equipment was left in the dressing room, while against Wales they squandered several opportunities before settling for a draw.
With Pakistan needing a win and India requiring only a draw, the equation is simple. The rivalry may no longer be evenly matched, but Wednesday's World Cup clash could still decide who gets to keep dreaming.
