India secured a thrilling 2-1 victory against Pakistan in their final group stage match of the Asian Champions Trophy at Moqi Hockey Training Base in Hulunbuir, People’s Republic of China on Saturday. Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh emerged as the match-winner, scoring both goals, marking India’s fifth straight win in the round-robin stage.
Though both teams had already qualified for the semifinals, the game was intensely competitive. Pakistan drew first blood in the eighth minute when Hannan Shahid set up Ahmad Nadeem to score, beating Indian goalkeeper Krishna Pathak.
India quickly leveled the score in the 13th minute with Harmanpreet converting a penalty corner. He added another goal in the 19th minute, again from a penalty corner, to give India the lead and secure the win.
With the semifinals set for September 16, India continues its impressive form in the tournament. This latest victory adds to their dominant 10-2 win over Pakistan in the Asian Games and a 4-0 triumph in the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai.
