India vs Pakistan: The legendary rivals India and Pakistan will face off against each other again on the ice on Saturday in the last round robin match of the ongoing Asian Champions Trophy. Their previous meeting took place three months ago on the cricket field during the T20 World Cup
In the realm of hockey, the bitter rivals have a rich past marked by numerous unforgettable games played throughout the years. India has the advantage and will start as the favorites on Saturday, but Pakistan has also been playing well lately and will try to give Harmanpreet Singh and company some trouble.
India vs Pakistan: A brief history of the most anticipated hockey match
India thrashes Pakistan 10-2 in 2023
When the dust cleared from their Asian Games match in Hangzhou, India decisively outclassed its neighbors, recording their largest victory against Pakistan with a score of 10–2. Varun Kumar scored twice, and Harmanpreet Singh, the captain of India, scored four goals. On the score sheet were Mandeep Singh, Sumit, Shamsher Singh, and Lalit Kumar Upadhyay. Pakistan responded with a goal through Abdul Rana and Muhammad Khan.
The fabled reappearance (2003)
One individual, Jugraj Singh, will live on in the memory of the 2003 Champions Trophy match between the two teams. A player who consistently caused problems for the venerable Sohail Abbas made history by helping his club win 7–4 and scoring two goals. Jugraj was applying such intense defensive pressure that Abbas, appearing frustrated, approached to coach Tahir Zaman and inquired, “Kahan feku? Where should I flip, Seedha aa raha hai? He’s directly aimed at me. With twenty-one minutes remaining, Pakistan was leading 2-4, with Jugraj accounting for India’s two goals.
Following that, the Indian front line stormed into the game, with braces from Deepak Thakur and Gagan Ajit Singh as well as a single from Prabhot Singh, helping India to a historic encounter.
The disaster of the middle finger (2014)
Almost ten years ago, in the 2014 Champions Trophy semifinal, after Pakistan defeated India 4-3, players from that team began to dance wildly, hurl insults, and make vulgar gestures like raising their middle fingers at the Bhubaneshwar crowd. This was one of the most contentious moments in the recent history of India vs. Pakistan hockey. As a result, Shafaqt Rasool received a reprimand and two Pakistani players, Amjad Ali and Muhammad Tousiq, were suspended and were not permitted to play in the final.
Heroics in a shootout: PR Sreejesh (2014)
PR Sreejesh, the legendary goalie, has already made history by his heroics in helping India defeat Pakistan in the 2014 Asian Games final. He just resigned after helping India earn a Bronze Medal at the recently ended Olympics in Paris. After scores were tied at the end of regulation, India would triumph 4-2 in the shootout to capture their first major hockey gold since the Asiad in 1998 in Bangkok. In the game, Sreejesh produced two extremely important saves that would later make him one of Indian sports’ most renowned icons.
