19 August,2026 03:07 PM IST | Amstelveen | mid-day online correspondent
India leads 4-2 against Pakistan on Wednesday (Pic/X@HockeyIndia)
India made a strong start to their much-anticipated clash against Pakistan at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 in Amstelveen, Netherlands, with the first two quarters largely belonging to the tournament favourites.
India did not take long to justify their billing as favourites, taking control of the proceedings early and putting Pakistan's defence under sustained pressure. Indian skipper Harmanpreet Singh opened the scoring with a thrilling penalty-corner goal in the first quarter, setting the tone for a high-intensity contest.
Pakistan, traditionally known for their attacking style of hockey, struggled to produce any meaningful attacking moves in the opening stages. While their set-piece execution did look impressive , the defence was all over the place, allowing the Indian forwards to find spaces and dictate the tempo.
India carried their dominance into the second quarter and built a healthy advantage, with the scoreboard reading 4-1 at one stage. The Indian attack looked sharp, while Pakistan found it difficult to deal with the sustained pressure.
One of the positives for India by the end of the first half was their discipline inside the circle. Pakistan had managed to earn only two penalty corners during the opening two quarters, limiting their opportunities to threaten the Indian goal from set pieces.
However, Pakistan refused to go into the break without a response. With around seven minutes remaining in the first half, they found the back of the net again to reduce the deficit and bring the scoreline to 4-2.
India will now look to build on their impressive first-half display, while Pakistan will need a significant turnaround after struggling to match their opponents' intensity and organisation in the opening 30 minutes.
Earlier in their second group match against England on Monday, eighth-ranked India conceded three second-half goals to suffer a 2-4 defeat to World No. 3 England.
Nicholas Bandurak put England ahead in the 13th minute but India fought back and took a 2-1 lead through goals from captain Harmanpreet Singh (16th) and Dilpreet Singh (24th) in the Pool D match.
The Englishmen, however, put up a dominant show in the second half, with Stuart Rushmere (38th) and Henry Croft (42nd) finding the net in the third quarter.
Bandurak (54th) then scored his second goal of the day to help England beat India 4-2.
With three points from two matches, India will need to either beat or draw Pakistan, who have one point from two games, in their final pool match on Wednesday (August 19) to qualify for the second round.
A loss against Pakistan, will, however, knock India out of the tournament. India had beaten Wales 3-1 in their campaign opener on Saturday.
