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The always-intense rivalry between India and Pakistan hit new heights during their recent Asian Champions Trophy 2024 group-stage clash as the Indian men's hockey team led by Harmanpreet Singh claimed a 2-1 win over their arch-rivals. In a match that was tightly wound up, things took a heated turn in the final 10 minutes when Pakistan’s Ashraf Waheed Rana made a rough tackle on India’s Jugraj Singh.
With Pakistan pushing hard for an equalizer, Rana's foul inside the Indian circle triggered an angry reaction from India’s captain Harmanpreet Singh and Jarmanpreet Singh. They quickly rushed to confront Rana, exchanging words before the umpires and players from both sides stepped in to calm the situation.
You can watch the incident here:
After a video review, the umpires handed Rana a yellow card, leaving Pakistan with only 10 players on the field for the remainder of the match. India, looking to capitalize on the advantage, kept pressing forward, but missed out on adding another goal before the final whistle in the Asian Champions Trophy 2024 clash.
India stay unbeaten in Asian Champions Trophy 2024 with 2-1 win over Pakistan
Before tempers flared, India and Pakistan were already locked in a tense, back-and-forth battle in the Asian Champions Trophy 2024 clash. Despite India's early attacks, Pakistan were the first to strike, with Ahmad Nadeem scoring in the 8th minute after a smart pass from Hannan Shahid. But India didn’t take long to respond. Just five minutes later, captain Harmanpreet Singh converted a penalty corner to level the score at 1-1.
India continued to push forward and took the lead in the 19th minute with another penalty corner, again converted by Harmanpreet. After that, India controlled much of the game, but Pakistan refused to back down. They had a big chance to equalize right before halftime when Sufyan Khan's drag-flick from a penalty corner hit the crossbar.
The second half saw the two teams battling hard. India created several more chances, but Pakistan’s defense stood firm. Pakistan, too, earned a few penalty corners, but Indian goalkeeper Krishan Pathak made crucial saves to protect the lead.
As the clock ticked, emotions boiled over with Rana's foul, adding even more drama to the final minutes. Despite India’s efforts to take advantage of the extra player, Pakistan held strong, and Harmanpreet’s last penalty corner shot was blocked, keeping the score at 2-1.
India's victory ensured they finished the Asian Champions Trophy 2024 group stage unbeaten and at the top of the points table. Now, they will head into the semifinals on September 16 at 15:30 IST, full of confidence after this hard-fought win.
