3,784 days of dominance: India beat Pakistan in 7-goal London hockey thriller

Sparks flew exactly as expected at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Center as India survived a ferocious late fightback from arch-rivals Pakistan to secure a thrilling 4-3 win in their FIH Pro League opener in London. The two Asian giants met on the international stage for the first time in almost two years and served up an unmissable spectacle that stayed true to the rich, messy history of this storied rivalry.

The win maintains India’s remarkable 10-year unbeaten streak against their neighbors – extending the dominant streak to 18 matches without defeat in a streak that now stands at 3,784 days.

IND vs PAK, FIH Pro League: Highlights

The defeat left Pakistan bottom of the table, winless with 13 defeats from as many matches this season, while India moved up to 7th place as they claimed their third win in 13 matches to follow up a good run in the Dutch part of the FIH Pro League.

The lopsided final statistics tell a tale of sheer Indian dominance, with the Men in Blue recording a staggering 30 circle penetrations compared to Pakistan’s just nine. However, the match started with a shock for the pre-match favourites. Despite India dictating traffic with 19 penetrations into the circle and earning nine penalty corners in the first half alone, it was Pakistan who struck first against the run of play. Ahmad Nadeem took advantage of a rare opening in the first quarter to burst through the Indian defense to hand the underdogs a surprise lead.

Pakistan’s 22-year-old wicketkeeper Ali Raza put up a heroic, lone resistance to keep the Indians at bay. At the start of the second quarter, Dilpreet Singh found himself one-on-one with the young marksman and unleashed a ferocious attack, only for Raza to pull off a brilliant block with his left foot outstretched.

However, he finally broke Pakistan’s resistance in the 23rd minute. Dilpreet quickly regained possession and sent a sublime cross back into the danger area for Abhishek, who mercilessly delivered a powerful strike in open play into the bottom right corner. A desperate Pakistani review came to nothing and the equalizer stood.

The turnaround was completed barely 60 seconds later thanks to a chaotic progression from a penalty corner. Pakistan’s opening speedster did a great job of attacking the opening swing but the ball came loose inside D. Nilakanta Sharma was quickest to react and bowled the loose ball into the bottom left corner. As Mandeep Singh effectively screened Raza’s vision, the ball crept through a crowd of feet to find the back of the net to mark Nilakanta’s delighted 19th international goal for the blue shirt.

LATE ANSWER IN USE

India continued their relentless pressure after the break and found a spectacular third. Sukhjeet Singh led the decisive attack and got a cross into the box with his back to the goal. In one fluid motion, the attacker turned the tag and unleashed an absolute scream of a strike that left Raza with absolutely no chance.

India’s dominance was further rewarded in the final quarter through the tenth penalty corner. In a shrewd tactical change, the whistlers deployed captain Harmanpreet Singh as bait, allowing Rajinder Singh to step in. Rajinder unleashed a brilliant move at an awkward, awkward height that whizzed past the stranded Raza to make it 4-1 with seven minutes remaining.

Still, true to the volatile nature of this fixture, the Green Shirts refused to capitulate. Sensing late complacency, Abu Bakar pulled one back by slotting through the keeper’s legs to send a whirlwind into the Pakistan dugout. With just 15 seconds left, Gazanfar Shakeel capitalized on a desperate scramble to score Pakistan’s third.

While the final whistle brought immense relief to the Indian contingent after a nervous finish, the result cemented the fine form they had shown during the Rotterdam leg. India will be looking to iron out their defensive failings before taking on hosts England on June 25, while a resilient Pakistan will turn around immediately to face England’s arsenal on Wednesday.

India and Pakistan meet again in London on Friday in the second match.

– The end

Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

23 Jun 2026 21:36 IST