Who will the Indians face in the final of the men's hockey event at the 2023 Asian Games?

The Indian men's hockey team is one step away from winning an Asian Games gold medal after a gap of nine years.

The Indians got past four-time gold medalists South Korea by a 5-3 margin in the semifinals on October 4 after having topped Pool A.

In the second semifinal, defending champions Japan beat hosts China 3-2 to earn the right to play India in the gold medal match of the 2023 Asian Games to be played on Friday (October 6).

Given the manner in which the Indians have dominated against Japan in the recent past, Craig Fulton's team would consider themselves as the overwhelming favorites to win an Asian Games gold medal.

If the recent head-to-head record between the two teams is anything to go by, the Japanese will need to play out of their skin in order to beat an Indian outfit who have been playing a fiercely attacking brand of hockey in Hangzhou.

The defenders, who were put to the test in the semifinals against South Korea, also performed creditably against a side renowned for their speedy counterattacks.

The Indians have lost just three matches out of 26 that they have played against Samurai Japan since 2013.

Manpreet Singh and co. defeated Japan 8-0 in the pool stages of the Jakarta Asian Games before the Japanese eventually went on to win the gold.

The Men in Blue have since remained unbeaten against Japan in the 2018 Asian Champions Trophy, the 2019 FIH Series Finals, and the Ready Steady Tokyo tournament ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.

The Japanese did manage to hold the Indians to a 1-1 draw in the pool stages of the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy before the Olympic bronze medalists came into their own to register a 5-0 win in the semifinals.

In Hangzhou, the Indians, captained by Harmanpreet Singh, beat Japan by a 4-2 margin in the pool stages of the competition.

Nine losses in 12 Asian Games final appearances - India look to alter script in Hangzhou

For a side that won eight Olympic gold medals, the Indians have a relatively poor Asian Games record.

Having faced Pakistan in seven consecutive finals between 1958 and 1982, the Indians lost to their arch rivals on six occasions, with the infamous 1-7 defeat in New Delhi still on the minds of several Indian hockey fans.

India beat Pakistan to win gold in Bangkok in 1966 which was their first triumph after hockey had been introduced into the competition in 1958.

In 1986, the Indians faced the ignominy of missing out on an Asian Games final for the first time, with South Korea and Pakistan playing the gold-medal game.

The Men in Green also won gold as the Indians settled for a silver medal at the Beijing Games in 1990. The two Asian giants then had to wait 24 years to face each other in an Asiad final, with the Indians beating Pakistan via a penalty shootout at Incheon in 2014.

In the interim, the Indians played three finals against the South Koreans - losing in 1994 and 2002, but emerging victorious in the 1998 Bangkok Games.

After going down to Malaysia in the semifinals in 2018, the Indians would like nothing better than to add another Asian Games gold medal to their kitty as they look to re-emphasize their continental supremacy and create new history.