Defending champions India continued their unbeaten run in the Hero Asian Champions Trophy, defeating arch-rivals Pakistan 2-1 in a thrilling encounter in Hulunbuir on Saturday, September 14, 2024. The victory propelled India into the semifinals of the six-team round-robin competition.
Pakistan drew first blood through Ahmad Nadeem’s goal in the 8th minute, but India responded swiftly with two penalty corner conversions from Harmanpreet Singh in the 13th and 19th minutes. The match was a tense affair, with both teams creating numerous chances but failing to capitalize.
India’s defense, led by goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh, stood firm against Pakistan’s relentless attacks. The Indian midfield, anchored by Manpreet Singh, controlled the tempo of the game and created several scoring opportunities for the forwards.
Pakistan, despite their early lead, struggled to find their rhythm and were unable to penetrate India’s defense consistently. Their penalty corner conversion rate was also poor, with only one successful attempt out of five.
The victory was a significant one for India, as it extended their unbeaten streak in the tournament to five matches. They have now qualified for the semifinals, where they will face the winner of the match between Japan and Malaysia.
Pakistan, on the other hand, will need to regroup and improve their performance if they want to qualify for the semifinals. They have one more match remaining in the round-robin stage, against Japan on September 16.
