London: India secures dominant 7-1 victory over Pakistan in FIH Pro League
The Indian Men’s Hockey Team delivered a commanding performance against Pakistan, securing a 7-1 victory in the reverse fixture of the FIH Pro League London leg. The match took place at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, where India overcame an early deficit to achieve a significant win.
Despite Pakistan taking an early lead in the first quarter, India responded with a series of goals. Sukhjeet Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Jugraj Singh, Abhishek, Raj Kumar Pal, and Dilpreet Singh all contributed to the scoreline. Midfielder Hardik Singh was recognised as the ‘Player of the Match’ for his influential role in the midfield.
First Quarter Action and Pakistan’s Early Lead
The match began with both teams displaying high intensity. India earned an early penalty corner within the first 90 seconds, initiated by a quick baseline run from Mandeep Singh. However, India’s initial pushes did not result in a goal. Pakistan, through dangerous counter-attacks, earned a penalty corner in the 13th minute. Following an unsuccessful video referral, Pakistan captain Abu Bakar Mahmood converted with a drag-flick, giving his team a 1-0 lead by the end of the first quarter.
This early goal came despite India having a better share of possession in the opening minutes. India had failed to convert three early penalty corners before Pakistan capitalised on their opportunity. Abu Mahmood’s powerful drag-flick beat goalkeeper Mohith and the line defender to put Pakistan ahead.
India’s Comeback in the Second Quarter
India asserted control in the second quarter, utilising precise long passes to stretch the Pakistan defence. Pakistan faced a setback in the 18th minute when a deflected pass from Ali Ghazanfar accidentally struck teammate Ahmad Nadeem, forcing him off the field. Pakistan coach Khawaja Muhammad Junaid noted that Nadeem’s injury, which involved his eyeball, was the fourth injury for the team.
India quickly capitalised on this momentum. A minute later, they earned a penalty corner. Captain Harmanpreet fired a powerful drag-flick, which Sukhjeet skillfully deflected into the net in the 20th minute, levelling the score at 1-1. In the 26th minute, India secured another penalty corner, and this time Harmanpreet directly smashed it into the top left corner, giving India a 2-1 lead heading into halftime. This marked a significant turnaround for India, especially for Harmanpreet Singh, who had reportedly struggled with penalty corner conversions in recent matches.
Dominance Continues in the Second Half
The ‘Men in Blue’ intensified their dominance in the second half. In the 34th minute, India earned consecutive penalty corners, with the second leading to a penalty stroke. Hardik Singh calmly converted the stroke, extending India’s lead to 3-1. Pakistan attempted to respond by winning two penalty corners, but the Indian defence successfully blocked both attempts.
Following the blocked second penalty corner, India launched a rapid counter-attack. The ball found Dilpreet, who combined effectively with Sukhjeet before setting up Jugraj Singh to score in the 35th minute, pushing the lead to 4-1. India’s frontline remained relentless, with Sukhjeet creating another opportunity in the 41st minute, passing to Abhishek, who scored on the run to make it 5-1.
Late in the third quarter, India earned four consecutive penalty corners. On the fourth attempt, Raj Kumar Pal reacted quickly to guide the rebound of Harmanpreet’s drag-flick into the open goal in the 44th minute, further extending the lead to 6-1. India scored four goals in a devastating 15-minute spell during this quarter, taking complete control of the match.
Maintaining Intensity and Final Goal
India maintained their defensive discipline and continued to seek further scoring opportunities in the final quarter. In the 54th minute, Dilpreet Singh completed a well-executed move by scoring India’s seventh goal of the match. Mandeep Singh was instrumental in this goal, bursting down the left flank before finding Dilpreet, who controlled a bouncing ball and finished from close range.
Pakistan earned back-to-back penalty corners in the closing minutes of the game, but veteran midfielder Manpreet Singh stood firm, blocking both attempts and preserving India’s comprehensive 7-1 victory. This win is particularly significant as it came less than 24 hours after India’s shootout loss to England and also avenged some defensive lapses from their narrow 4-3 victory over Pakistan earlier in the week. The emphatic victory places India seventh on the points table, ahead of Spain and Pakistan, and provides a boost before their final Pro League fixture against England on Sunday, June 28.
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Source: hockeyindia.org
