Hockey’s traditional powerhouses India and Pakistan will add another chapter to their intense rivalry when the two sides face off in the Asian Champions Trophy 2024 at the Moqi Hockey Training Base in Hulunbuir, China, on Saturday.
Led by ace drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh, defending champions India will enter the match as table toppers, having convincingly won all their four Asian Champions Trophy games so far.
Fresh from their second consecutive Olympic bronze in Paris, India began their ACT campaign with a 3-0 thrashing of hosts before outclassing Japan 5-1 in their second match. India then trounced the 2023 finalists Malaysia 8-1 and went on to clinch a 3-1 win against the Korea in their previous match.
On the other hand, Ammad Butt-led Pakistan are also unbeaten in the six-nation competition till now. They are second on the points table with two wins and two draws. Pakistan produced exciting 2-2 draws against Malaysia and South Korea in their first two matches before beating Japan 2-1 and China 5-1 in their next two games.
As such, Saturday’s match promises to be an exciting affair as both sides have already qualified for the semi-finals to be played on Monday. Both sides also boasts of a great combination of youth and experienced players.
For Pakistan, 19-year-old rising star Hannan Shahid is the tournament’s second-highest scorer with four goals.
India, meanwhile, have Raj Kumar Pal, Araijeet Singh Hundal, Harmanpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, and Uttam Singh all tied on three goals each.
As far as head-to-head records between the two teams are concerned, Pakistan have a 82-66 record against India. However, India have won 14 of the last 16 matches against Pakistan with the other two ending in draws. Pakistan’s last victory over India came in the 2016 South Asian Games final in Guwahati.
In their most recent meeting last year, India humiliated Pakistan by a massive 10-2 margin in their pool match at the Asian Games in Hangzhou and 4-0 in the Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai.
At the Asia Cup 2022 in Jakarta, a relatively young Indian side held Pakistan to a 1-1 draw while in the Asian Champions Trophy 2021 in Dhaka, India edged Pakistan 4-3 to claim the bronze medal.
At the Asian Champions Trophy, India are the most successful side, having won the title four times. They defeated Malaysia 4-3 in the final in Chennai last year. Pakistan are second best with three titles.
Past results don’t matter: Harmanpreet
On paper, going by India’s recent record against Pakistan, the defending champions will undoubtedly start as favourites but skipper Harmanpreet Singh doesn’t buy the theory, and expects a tough contest against the arch-rivals on Saturday.
“Past results will not matter when we take on a team like Pakistan. They are a tough side and have the potential to bounce back at any stage in the game,” said Harmanpreet.
Harmanpreet, who made his senior team debut in 2015, said that he had shared the field with some of the players and share a special bond with them. He also feels that the fans across the globe will be anticipating a cracker of a contest between the two Asian giants.
“I have been playing with some of the players in the Pakistan team since my junior days and we share a special bond with them. They are like my brothers. Of course, on the field, we will go about the match like we would against any other opponent and make sure we keep our emotions in check,” he said.
“In world hockey, the rivalry the two teams share is unparalleled and I am sure fans across the globe will be waiting for an India-Pakistan match,” he added.
Pakistan captain Ammad Butt hoped that the trend will continue as they gear up for arguably the Match of the tournament.
“India has undeniably played like true favourites in the tournament so far. We will take heart from the matches we have played, and I must say, we have improved in every single game, not conceded cards and have played disciplined hockey. We look forward to doing the same against India tomorrow,” Butt said.
In other matches of the day, Malaysia will take on Korea while hosts China will play Japan.