Unbeaten India eye continued success against arch-rival Pakistan in the Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) on Saturday, with both the teams having already secured a spot in the semifinals.
India lead the points table with four wins in as many games, followed by Pakistan, who have won two matches and drawn two.
India, starting as favorites, havw performed consistently with victories over China, Japan, Malaysia, and Korea.
In contrast, Pakistan, under the guidance of Tahir Zaman, has shown resilience, drawing against Malaysia and Korea, and winning against Japan and China.
India’s recent record against Pakistan is strong. They defeated Pakistan 10-2 at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year and 4-0 in the previous ACT held in Chennai. Additionally, India managed a 1-1 draw at the Asia Cup in Jakarta in 2022 and a 4-3 victory in the 2021 ACT in Dhaka.
Harmanpreet Singh, India’s captain and a top drag-flicker, expressed his eagerness for the matchup, saying he is can’t wait to lock horns with Pakistan once again.
“I have been playing with some of the players in the Pakistan team since my junior days and we share a special bond with them. They are like my brothers. Of course, on the field, we will go about the match like we would against any other opponent and make sure we keep our emotions in check,” he said.
“In world hockey, the rivalry the two teams share is unparalleled and I am sure fans across the globe will be waiting for an India-Pakistan match.”
Harmanpreet, one of the world’s best drag-flickers on penalty corners, said he doesn’t look into the past.
“Past results will not matter when we take on a team like Pakistan. They are a tough side and have the potential to bounce back at any stage in the game,” he said.
India’s goal-scoring spree has a heartening statistic of field goals outscoring penalty corner conversions, which shows that the young forward line-up has performed well.
Pakistan, who are also unbeaten in four matches, have improved as the ournament progressed, and their captaion, Ammad Butt, hoped the trend will continue against India.
“India have undeniably played like true favourites in the tournament so far. We will take heart from the matches we have played, and I must say, we have improved in every single game, not conceded cards and have played disciplined hockey.
“The previous few games, we have defended very well against our opponents; and against India, too, we would want to defend well, particularly in penalty-corner defence,” he added.
The league phase will conclude on Saturday, with the other two matches of the day — Malaysia vs South Korea and China vs Japan.
India lead the points table with four wins in as many games, followed by Pakistan, who have won two matches and drawn two.
India, starting as favorites, havw performed consistently with victories over China, Japan, Malaysia, and Korea.
In contrast, Pakistan, under the guidance of Tahir Zaman, has shown resilience, drawing against Malaysia and Korea, and winning against Japan and China.
India’s recent record against Pakistan is strong. They defeated Pakistan 10-2 at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year and 4-0 in the previous ACT held in Chennai. Additionally, India managed a 1-1 draw at the Asia Cup in Jakarta in 2022 and a 4-3 victory in the 2021 ACT in Dhaka.
Harmanpreet Singh, India’s captain and a top drag-flicker, expressed his eagerness for the matchup, saying he is can’t wait to lock horns with Pakistan once again.
“I have been playing with some of the players in the Pakistan team since my junior days and we share a special bond with them. They are like my brothers. Of course, on the field, we will go about the match like we would against any other opponent and make sure we keep our emotions in check,” he said.
“In world hockey, the rivalry the two teams share is unparalleled and I am sure fans across the globe will be waiting for an India-Pakistan match.”
Harmanpreet, one of the world’s best drag-flickers on penalty corners, said he doesn’t look into the past.
“Past results will not matter when we take on a team like Pakistan. They are a tough side and have the potential to bounce back at any stage in the game,” he said.
India’s goal-scoring spree has a heartening statistic of field goals outscoring penalty corner conversions, which shows that the young forward line-up has performed well.
Pakistan, who are also unbeaten in four matches, have improved as the ournament progressed, and their captaion, Ammad Butt, hoped the trend will continue against India.
“India have undeniably played like true favourites in the tournament so far. We will take heart from the matches we have played, and I must say, we have improved in every single game, not conceded cards and have played disciplined hockey.
“The previous few games, we have defended very well against our opponents; and against India, too, we would want to defend well, particularly in penalty-corner defence,” he added.
The league phase will conclude on Saturday, with the other two matches of the day — Malaysia vs South Korea and China vs Japan.