Harmanpreet Singh celebrates with teammate after scoring a goal against Pakistan. (Pic credit: Hockey India)
India raced to a 3-0 lead before Pakistan mounted a spirited fightback, cutting the deficit to 3-1 and then 4-2 before eventually scoring again in the final quarter. “If you are winning the ball in the 25-metre area, we must keep the possession. Harmanpreet, who scored twice from penalty corners, acknowledged that India were far from flawless despite securing a crucial win and progressing to the next round. The Indian captain was particularly concerned about the team’s inability to retain possession after winning the ball in advanced areas. We are making some silly mistakes which can be avoided. India’s attacking quality was evident as Harmanpreet and Abhishek scored two goals each, while Hardik Singh added another from a penalty stroke. Pakistan responded through Hannan Shahid’s brace and Sufiyan Khan’s penalty-corner strike. Abhishek, who scored twice, also insisted that India never allowed the Pakistan fightback to create panic.
He also admitted that India had repeated a problem they had discussed before the match — making a slow start to the third quarter. In the two matches we have talked about avoiding the slow start in the third quarter but we did the same mistake today.