India survive late Pakistan scare to seal thrilling 4-3 win in Pro League | Hockey News:
The Indian men’s hockey team continued their dominance Pakistan:defeated their opponents 4-3 in the FIH Pro League match at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Center in London on Tuesday.India, coming into the match on the back of two impressive wins against the Netherlands and Germany, were the better side and deservedly emerged victorious.However, they were in for a big shock when Pakistan scored the opening goal in front of a small crowd. It came from a penalty corner in the eighth minute as Ahmad Nadeem found the net with a variation that caught the Indian defense by surprise.India responded strongly, scoring four goals through Abhishek (22′), Nilakanta Sharma (24′), Sukhjeet Singh (40′) and Rajinder Singh (52′) to seemingly put the game out of Pakistan’s reach.Pakistan, however, is not ready to give up. They upped the tempo, drove India back and reduced the deficit in the 53rd minute when captain Abu Mahmood scored from a penalty corner through the legs of goalkeeper Suraj Karkera. Karkera, who had a good game, would have been disappointed not to have stopped that effort.The action continued to move from one end of the pitch to the other, and India also had a chance to score after earning a penalty corner. They failed to convert, but Pakistan made it count in the final minute when Moin Shakeel scored from the rebound after the visitors won their eighth penalty corner of the game.The win helped India extend their unbeaten run against Pakistan, which began in 2016 when the Men in Blue lost to South Asian Games final in Guwahati. The two teams will meet again on Friday, and India will be eager to continue that record.Before that, India will face England in what should prove a tougher test. Pakistan, meanwhile, take on the hosts on Wednesday, though their fate is already sealed. With 13 consecutive defeats and no points, they are set to be relegated from the Pro League. India, on the other hand, have 13 points from as many matches.Despite the win, there were some areas of concern for coach Craig Fulton, notably the failure to convert any of India’s 11 penalty corners and the tendency to allow quick PCs late in the match – something that also happened against Germany.What pleases Fulton, however, is how clinical his players are inside the circle. The goals they scored were fantastic, especially the strikes by Abhishek and Sukhjeet that are worthy of any highlight reel.One can only wait to see if India can replicate this goal scoring streak against England as well.
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