India vs Pak: Recent history backs Harmanpreet & co in marquee clash

The balance of power may have clearly tilted towards India over the last decade or so, but the weight of history and emotion of an India-Pakistan hockey match is not lost on the average fan from either side of the border. Come tomorrow, another chapter will unfold at Wagener Hockey Stadium at Amstelveen to decide who stays in the race for the semi-finals of the ongoing FIH World Cup hockey.

India currently occupies second place in Pool D with three points, having opened their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Wales before suffering a 2-4 defeat to England on Monday. Pakistan, meanwhile, have one point from their two matches after drawing against Wales and going down 1-4 to England. The top two teams from each of the four pools in the first stage will remain in contention for the semi-finals, while the bottom two teams will move into the classification matches.

With England having won both their matches and assured of a top two finish in this pool, the battle for the other spot has come down to the last two matches: India versus Pakistan and England vs Wales. India needs at least a draw to secure second place in the pool while both Pakistan and Wales face a must-win situation to keep their campaign alive. Interestingly, it’s after a 16-year gap since their 2010 encounter in New Delhi that they are meeting in a World Cup – with India prevailing 4-1 on that occasion.  

Times have changed since the times when this age-old rivalry used to bring life to a standstill in both countries. In the last 10 years since the 2016 South Asian Games final, the two sides have met 19 times - with India prevailing in 17 encounters and the remaining two ending in draws. Pakistan have therefore not beaten India in a decade, a statistic that underlines how heavily the balance of power has shifted in recent years.

However, India’s South African chief coach Craig Fulton is well aware about the geopolitical significance of the clash. “We always have the rivalry - that’s never off the table. As a proud coach of the Indian team, you want to win every time you play against Pakistan. That’s a given,” Fulton told Hockey India media.

 “At the same time, they are doing a little bit more investment in their coaching and trying to improve the long-term plan for Pakistan. But we’ve just got to keep playing our style, making sure we are clinical and not giving them any free gifts because they can create goals from nothing,” he said, before adding: “As long as we know what they are good at and we stop them from doing that and we play the game and not the occasion, we’ve got a good chance.” 

India will also look towards their inspirational captain and ace drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh to make the difference once again. The leader of defence has already scored three goals in two matches, all coming from penalty corners and has been central to India’s attacking threat. While the Indian forwards have shown promise with their movement and ability to create opportunities, they will be keen to sharpen their finishing in a match where every chance could prove decisive.

Pakistan, meanwhile, will be driven by the urgency of their situation. With just one point from two matches, they know that only a victory can keep their semi-final hopes alive and history says they can often be a dangerous opponent with their backs to the wall.

Catch the match

FIH Men’s World Cup hockey

Group D: India vs Pakistan

Venue: Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen

Start: 6.30 pm IST