Hockey Asia Cup 2017: India vs Pakistan — As it happened...

Thumping win for India. Yet another win for India. Ramandeep Singh and Chinglensana Kangujam were brilliant today, even though Sardar Singh was happy to hold India's backline. And here's that moment of brilliance from Ramandeep Singh:

A sublime finish, if ever there was one! Absolute genius from @ramandeep_31 to bring home India's second.#INDvPAK #HeroAsiaCup pic.twitter.com/TFB6tvPNO1

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) October 15, 2017

Despite the defeat, Pakistan still make the Super Fours. They were lucky not to lose by a bigger margin though. At one time, they were down to nine men with Rizwan Sr and Ammad Shakil Butt missing the play for five minutes with yellow cards in the 34th minute.

Read match report HERE

FULL-TIME

Fourth Quarter (IND 3 - 1 PAK)

60th min: India manage to keep the ball rolling in the final seconds. And India beat Pakistan again. But Pakistan still make the Super 4.

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59th min: In the subsequent PC, Harmanpreet misses his swing by losing the ball. But the ball still keeps its track from and seems to hit the foot of a Pakistan defender. India challenge, and lose the referral. No foot.

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58th min: Simple but effective hockey from India, using the acres of spaces available just inside the Pakistan half. Uthappa and Sunil link up to win yet another PC for India. It was followed by a back-to-back PCs. India challenge, saying there's a stick check following a Chinglensana stroke which gets deflected on the goal-line from one of the players. Penalty of PC? Interesting call from the officials, No Advice and India retain their referral even though it was given a PC instead.

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57th min: Akashdeep is a virtual livewire today. He's probing the Pakistan defensive line, testing their will and discipline with his brilliant man marking and runs. Meanwhile, India are trying to choke out Pakistan. But Pakistan captain Mohammad Irfan Sr just outmatches his Indian counterpart with a good turn.

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55th min: Five minutes left in the match, and India win free hit just outside the Pakistan D. Surender sends in a cross, but India fail to make the most out of the move. Pakistan, however, are dominating this quarter. They have got four circle penetrations to India's one.

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53rd min: Rashid Mahmood produces a brilliant defensive play to block India, then, on the counter, India's goalie gets his feet to block a menacing drive. What a period of play.

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52nd min: A rather quiet Rizwan Sr manages to produce a teasing on the left flank, then releases a long ball but it failed to find a team-mate. Then a melee in the Indian goal-mouth results in back-to-back PCs. But Pakistan challenge the second PC, claiming a stick infringement from Harmanpreet. Pakistan lose the review. Long corner, instead. Then, play stops with India goalie Akash Chikte in some discomfort.

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50th min: GOAL for Pakistan. Playing his 97th match, Ali Shan finishes well to beat the diving Indian goalie.

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47th min: Cautious start from India as usual. This is India at their full dimensional play, using the flanks. Lalit fails to control the ball just outside the Pakistan D, and a huge relief for the three-time champions.

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Third Quarter (IND 3 - 0 PAK)

45th min: In the dying minutes of the quarter, India score another goal. But PC decision was already there. India's second PC, and Harmanpreet buried it, beating Mazhar to the left. His fifth of the tournament. GOAL!!

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43rd min: Pakistan waste their chance from the PC with India's first wave of defenders covering, or blocking the line. On the counter, an unmarked Ramandeep scores the second GOAL of the match. What a move from India.

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42nd min: Tantalising tika taka from Akashdeep and Gurjant, but wasted when there's on Mazhar to beat. Gurjant could have done better. On the counter, Butt earns a PC for Pakistan. Obstructing play from the Indians.

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40th min: Varun Kumar just misses the near post. Good effort.

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39th min: Brilliant tactics from Pakistan goalie Mazhar Abbas. Going for the shoelace, giving some breathing time to his team-mates. Then, India get their first PC of the match after the ball deflected high from Mazhar.

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37th min: India still enjoying a better circle penetration, 11-9, but they are not able to take the full advantage. It still remains 1-0 in India's favour despite gaining a two-man advantage.

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36th min: Lalit tries an ambitious move, but his effort only resulted in a long corner. Pakistan players doing well to fend off Indian attack. Then, Pakistan get a brilliant chance to level the score with just arrived Akash Chikte losing his ground.

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34th min: Yellow card for Rizwan Sr for his lunge on Harmanpreet. Seconds ago, Shakil Butt was involved in a body clash with an Indian player. Well, another yellow card for Pakistan captain for a stick check. Huge moment in the game. Nine players against 11 for the next five minutes.

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32nd min: Quite start to the third quarter with India waiting for an opening. Akashdeep releases for Chinglensana as India make a good looking move. But a misdirected ball results in a Pakistan long hit.

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Meanwhile, here's a quick look at all the important numbers from this great rivalry:

TOTAL: 169 matches, IND won 57, PAK won 82, Draw 30, IND goals 337, PAK goals 390
BILATERAL SERIES: 52 matches, IND won 16, PAK won 25, Draw 11, IND goals 104, PAK goals 124
1. IN INDIA: 25 matches, IND won 8, PAK won 15, Draw 2, IND goals 48. PAK goals 59
2. IN PAKISTAN: 27 matches, IND won 8, PAK won 10, Draw 9, IND goals 56, PAK goals 65
IN FIH EVENTS: 33 matches, IND won 13, PAK won 18, Draw 2, IND goals 72, PAK goals 73
IN CONTINENTAL C'SHIPS: 31 matches, IND won 10, PAK won 16, Draw 5, IND goals 58, PAK goals 74
1. Asia Cup: 6 matches, IND won 1, PAK won 5, IND goals 10, PAK goals 18
AT NEUTRAL VENUES: 96 matches, IND won 34, PAK won 43, Draw 19, IND goals 190, PAK goals 203
(Most Matches Hosted: Ipoh in Malaysia has hosted 10 Indo-Pak hockey matches. India has won 9 of the 10 matches hosted in Ipoh.)
SINCE 2010: 29 matches, IND won 14, PAK won 8, Draw 7, IND goals 84, PAK goals 57
LAST MATCH: Hockey World League Semifinals in London on June 25, 2017 - IND won 6-1
Biggest Win for India: 7-1, Hockey World League Semifinals in London, June 18, 2017
Biggest Win for Pakistan: 7-1, twice (Champions Trophy in Karachi, January 3, 1980; 1982 Delhi Asian Games, December 1, 1982)

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HALF-TIME 

HT! The hooter goes as India head into the break leading on the back of @chinglensana29's superb strike.#INDvPAK #HeroAsiaCup pic.twitter.com/MnxWyow46x — Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) October 15, 2017

Second Quarter (IND 1 - 0 PAK)

30th min: Ali Shan, one of Pakistan's more agile players, fails to make the most out of his run inside the Indian half. Then, India launch a fast counter with Gurjant Singh releasing a rocket reverse hit, and it hits the side netting. Hooter for HT.

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28th min: Uthappa takes an eternity to release the ball after getting penetration, and loses possession. Shakil Butt gets into a rampaging mode, launching an attack of their own. But Mohammed Atiq fails to beat a diving Indian goalie.

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26th min: PC to Pakistan, again. But India challenge the call, saying there's no foot. Sumit in question here. Replays show. Ball hit the stick, and India retain the referral. Long corner for Pakistan. Then a great chance for Pakistan followed by Rizwan Sr failed to control the cross from long corner.

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24th min: What a run from Ramandeep, but his link-up play fails to produce the goods for India. On the counter, Rizwan Jr launches his own attack. India responded with yet another attack, but Pakistan get to test India goalie with a great strike. Brilliant save from Suraj, diving to his left.

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22nd min: Sardar Singh, for all his experience, is happy to play a withdrawn role, feeding the ball to his Indian attackers up front. Ramandeep keeps his cool, winning an infringement in front of Pakistan D. But India fail to make most out it. Then, Pakistan win the second PC of the match. A quick, smart work from Azhar to force a body push from an Indian defender. Then Suraj Karkera does very well to palm the ball away.

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19 min: A wandering Rashid tries to find a compatriot in the Indian half, but to no avail. Ramandeep then produces a dominant left flank before producing a cracking cross. But Lalit fails to connect in front of an open goal. What a chance.

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17th min: What a start to the quarter for India. Lalit's move to the fore and Chinglensana Kangujam buried the first GOAL of the match. It's unstoppable.

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First Quarter (IND 0 - 0 PAK)

15th min: Pakistan miss the chance from PC. In fact, India get their own chance from the following play. And that's the end of first quarter. And even 15 minutes play in Dhaka.

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14th min: Surender Kumar produces a brilliant defensive play in the far corner to cut short a probing move from Pakistan. Then, Sardar Singh fails to protect his line, exposes Surender. First PC of the match to Pakistan.

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12th min: Pakistan continue apply pressure from both the flanks. India seem to have lost the plot in the last five minutes. Then, suddenly, Pakistan are down to 10 with Rizwan Jr getting a green card. Two minutes for him.

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10th min: What a chance for India. Sunil retrieves the ball from Indian half, then links up with Akashdeep, but they fail to push ahead. Seconds later, Pakistan get their own chance but a bad play wastes their chance. It's one vs two defenders.

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9th min: Brilliant defending from Sumit to thwart a quick counter-attack from Pakistan. The young player took a body blow just outside the D. Then Manpreet releases a missile which almost connects with a sniping Akashdeep. Brilliant move on the counter from India. Misses the target by a whisker.

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7th min: Surender Kumar to the fore as India mount an attack from the left. But Pakistani defenders show maturity to thwart the attack. Then came Akasdeep produces a brilliant run on the flank, but Rizwan Sr was upto to the task.

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5th min: India continue to enjoy a spell of possession. But nothing comes of it as Pakistan's defensive line show character. And for the first time, Pakistan get their play into the India 23.

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2nd min: India start the proceedings with Pakistan gaining the possession, but it proves too fleeting to launch an attack. India, then, have their first penetration.

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17:08 pm IST: Players are out, ready for the National Anthem round. Pakistan's first.

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17:04 pm IST: The head-to-head trend, that is overwhelmingly in favour of Pakistan in 169 matches, has changed since 2010 - bringing about famous wins in the finals of 2014 Asian Games and the 2016 Asian Champions Trophy, with goalkeeper PR Sreejesh being a hero on both the occasions. But Sreejesh is not playing this tournament.

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16:55 pm IST: Here's India's starting XI

Suraj Karkera (GK), Harmanpreet Singh, Surender Kumar, SK Uthappa, Varun Kumar, Sardar Singh, SV Sunil, Akashdeep Singh, Manpreet Singh (C), Chinglensana Kangujam, Lalit Upadhyay

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With two comfortable victories on the trot, a dominant India are now up against their arch-rivals Pakistan in the most anticipated clash in the Hockey Asia Cup tournament in Dhaka, today. (IND vs PAK – Match Preview)

Manpreet Singh-led side opened their campaign with a stunning 5-1 win over Japan and then went on to maul the minnows Bangladesh 7-0 on Friday. However, it has been a slight difference in Pakistan's journey so far. They too had crumbled down Bangladesh with a similar score in their opener, but were held 2-2 by Japan.

India are currently sitting at ease on top of Pool A with six points from two victories followed by Pakistan at second place with four points.

Of late, India have dominated arch-foes Pakistan in hockey, the latest being the 6-1 thrashing in a 5th-8th place classification match of the Hero Hockey World League Semi- Final in London in June.

India Squad

Goalkeepers: Akash Chikte, Suraj Karkera;
Defenders: Dipsan Tirkey, Kothajit Khadangbam, Surender Kumar, Harmanpreet Singh, Varun Kumar;
Midfielders: SK Uthappa, Sardar Singh, Manpreet Singh (captain), Chinglensana Kangujam, Sumit;
Forwards: S.V. Sunil (vice-captain), Akashdeep Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Lalit Kumar, Gurjant Singh, Satbir Singh

Pakistan squad

Mazhar Abbas, Amjad Ali, Mohammad Irfan Sr (captain), Rizwan Sr (vice-captain), Mazhar Abbas, Amjad Ali, Atif Mushtaq, Mubashir Ali, Ammad Shakil Butt, Abu Bakar, Tassawur Abbas, Rashid Mahmood, Rizwan Jr, Arsalan Qadir, Azfar Yaqoob, Umer Bhutta, Ali Shan, M. Atiq, Waqas Akbar and Aijaz Ahmed.