Amstelveen: Olympic bronze medallists India squandered multiple goal-scoring chances before posting a 5-3 victory over sub-continental rivals Pakistan at the Wagener Stadium here today, advancing to the World Cup’s second stage.
The Indians created patterns on the pitch, earning multiple goal-scoring opportunities, but wayward shooting of the prodigal Indian variety of hockey meant the margin of victory was just two goals as Pakistan regrouped and thrice fired on target to salvage some pride.
Captain Harmanpreet Singh twice sounded the boards with resounding drives, the first one with a drag-flicked penalty corner, and striker Abhishek also made two entries in the score-sheet before Hardik Singh converted a penalty stroke to round off Indian scoring. Yet, India had to stave off a fine Pakistan rally after slipping 0-3 behind.
Securing second place in Pool D, India follow all-conquering England into the next stage of the round-robin league. England finished on top of the pool standings with nine points, while India ended with six. England, however, take forward a slight advantage by carrying points into the second pool of round-robin games. They are likely to be joined by reigning Olympic champions the Netherlands and 2016 Olympic champions Argentina, who are leading the tally in their preliminary pool with one match remaining.
India continued their sustained decade-long period of dominance against four-time World Cup winners Pakistan, who were outplayed at the start but came back with some determination even as Indian strikers got into their wasteful ways. The second quarter was when Pakistan earned credit for matching India raid-for-raid and an equal share of four goals.
It was a crucial game for the two Asian rivals. India’s reversal against England in an earlier pool match had left them rattled. The fate of Harmanpreet’s side depended upon their last preliminary league game. Even a draw against Pakistan would have taken India into the second stage of the round-robin league, but it would have been hugely embarrassing for the side that started the World Cup bidding to top the group. Meanwhile, Pakistan were aspiring to turn the form-book upside down for a shock win.
The game started with the Pakistan goal coming under threat in the second minute itself, but the defenders managed to ward off two shots at the citadel.
In the fifth minute, Sukhjeet Singh collected a long aerial ball on the left and gave a diagonal pass to Abhishek, whose shot at the goal led to a melee, and India were awarded their first penalty corner. Harmanpreet unleashed a stinging grounder to sound the boards and celebrated the conversion by punching the air and slapping his right thigh.
Harmanpreet’s next penalty corner try, another grounder, was padded away by the goalkeeper for a corner, but the Indian raids continued and Pakistan had to fall back to crowd the scoring zone.
Abhishek found the mark with a reverse flick from a narrow angle in a crowded zone in the 11th minute before Harmanpreet sent another stinging shot into the boards during a goalmouth scrimmage that followed a penalty corner in the 21st.
Pakistan striker Hannan Shahid capitalised on a rebound to open their account in the 22nd minute before Abhishek got his second field goal after latching on to a through ball two minutes later to make it 4-1.
Within seconds, at the other end, Sufyan Khan’s penalty corner flick went in off a rusher’s stick, and Pakistan were back in the contest. Hardik deftly converted a penalty stroke in the 35th minute before Hannan got into the act again to score Pakistan’s third goal in the 46th minute.