NEW DELHI: India may have extended their decade-long winning run against Pakistan with a thrilling 5-3 victory at the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup on Wednesday, but captain Harmanpreet Singh believes the defensive lapses that allowed their arch-rivals back into the contest must be eliminated before the business end of the tournament.India raced to a 3-0 lead before Pakistan mounted a spirited fightback, cutting the deficit to 3-1 and then 4-2 before eventually scoring again in the final quarter. Harmanpreet, who scored twice from penalty corners, acknowledged that India were far from flawless despite securing a crucial win and progressing to the next round.“Missing a few chances upfront is okay but we cannot afford any mistakes at the back,” Harmanpreet said after the match.
Harmanpreet wants India to value possession
The Indian captain was particularly concerned about the team’s inability to retain possession after winning the ball in advanced areas. He also admitted that India had repeated a problem they had discussed before the match — making a slow start to the third quarter.“If you are winning the ball in the 25-metre area, we must keep the possession. We are making some silly mistakes which can be avoided. In the two matches we have talked about avoiding the slow start in the third quarter but we did the same mistake today. It is good learning for us for the next match,” said Harmanpreet.Despite those concerns, he was pleased with several aspects of India’s performance, particularly their attacking intent and ability to create opportunities.“If you look at our circle entries, ball possession, opportunities we have created and the passing, it was up to the mark. I am very happy with the performance,” he said.India’s attacking quality was evident as Harmanpreet and Abhishek scored two goals each, while Hardik Singh added another from a penalty stroke. Pakistan responded through Hannan Shahid’s brace and Sufiyan Khan’s penalty-corner strike.
Fulton, Abhishek pleased with response under pressure
Head coach Craig Fulton was satisfied with India’s ability to stick to their plan despite the intensity surrounding an India-Pakistan contest.“It was a big game on a big occasion and everyone is trying their best. I am glad that we stuck to our plan. I am happy with the way the team played,” Fulton said.Abhishek, who scored twice, also insisted that India never allowed the Pakistan fightback to create panic.“There was no nervousness. We played as per our plan and succeeded. We knew that we cannot afford to be relaxed at any moment,” he said.Pakistan’s Sufiyan Khan admitted that his side’s mistakes had proved costly against India.“We made many mistakes and we have to work hard. India is a very good team and hopefully we will learn from this and come back stronger in the Asian Games next month,” he said.The victory saw India finish second in Pool D with six points from three matches, behind England, who topped the group with nine points. Pakistan’s campaign ended with the defeat, while India now turn their attention to the next round, where the quality of opposition will rise significantly.
