India beat Pakistan 5-3 in a game far messier than the scoreline suggests

India secured a thrilling 5-3 victory over arch-rival Pakistan in a Pool D Hockey World Cup match, securing their advancement to the next round. Captained by Harmanpreet Singh, India took an early lead, with Harmanpreet and Abhishek scoring in the first quarter, making it 3-0. Pakistan responded with a goal from Hannan Shahid, but Abhishek added a second to extend India's lead to 4-1.

Pakistan managed to reduce the deficit to 4-2 with a goal by Sufyan Khan in the second quarter, which ended with 4 goals between the two teams.

In the third quarter, Hardik Singh sealed the match for India with a penalty stroke, making it 5-2. Pakistan managed to score one more goal, bringing the final score to 5-3. India had previously won against Wales and England, while Pakistan drew with Wales and lost to England earlier in the tournament. The recent gap in performance between the two teams was evident, as India had recently won the Pro League series against Pakistan 7-1 and 4-3. Pakistan's last win over India was in the 2016 Champions Trophy.

India's recent Olympics medals contrast with Pakistan's recent absence from the World Cup since 2014. Both teams face the challenge of maintaining composure, as past encounters have shown that form and rankings can be overshadowed by emotions. For Pakistan, only Mahmood and Ammad Butt have prior World Cup experience in the current squad, making this match particularly significant for the visitors.