A semifinal berth already secured, unbeaten India will look to continue the winning run and supremacy over arch-rivals Pakistan in their last and most-awaited round-robin match of the Hero Asian Champions Trophy here on Saturday.
With four wins out of as many games, defending champions India are leading the points table, followed closely by Pakistan.
Starting the tournament as clear favourites, Paris Olympics bronze-medallists India haven’t disappointed so far, beating hosts China 3-0, Japan 5-1, trouncing Malaysia 8-1 before registering a 3-1 victory against Korea in their last match.
Pakistan, on the other hand, have been resilient in the campaign. Playing under the guidance of legendary forward Tahir Zaman, the Ammad Butt-led side has improved with every passing game.
Pakistan drew 2-2 against Malaysia and Korea, before beating Japan and China 2-1 and 5-1 respectively to climb to the second spot.
Going by recent results, India enjoy an upper-hand over Pakistan.
In their last meeting at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year, India thrashed Pakistan 10-2. A few months before that, the Indians beat Pakistan 4-0 when the ACT was held in Chennai.
At the Asia Cup in Jakarta in 2022, a relatively young Indian side held Pakistan to a 1-1 draw while at the 2021 ACT in Dhaka, India beat Pakistan 4-3 to clinch the bronze medal.
India captain Harmanpreet Singh, regarded as one of the best drag-flickers in the world, is continuing his good form from Paris, and is excited to resume the rivalry against Pakistan.
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“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.”
Though India enjoys an edge over Pakistan, Harmanpreet is least bothered about past results.
“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.
The Indians can also take heart from the fact that the team’s young forward-line is living upto the expectations and scoring a lot of field goals, an area which was a bit of concern in Paris.
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Pakistan’s skipper Butt is also confident about Saturday’s contest and said his side has improved with each passing game.
“India has 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.
In other matches of the day, Malaysia will take on Korea while hosts China will play Japan.
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