Asian Champions Trophy: India to take on arch-rival Pakistan in last group match

The mouth-watering clash of the ongoing Asian Champions Trophy will take place tonight between two great rivals in hockey, India and Pakistan.

India has already qualified for the knockout stage and is looking to end their group matches in style. The match will be played at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium in Chennai, and it will commence at 8:30 pm.

This match is crucial for the boys in green, as they have to either win or draw the match to reach the last four. Currently, India is far superior to its neighbour. At present, India is ranked 4th in the world, while Pakistan’s ranking has dipped to 16.

There was a time when Pakistan was a hockey power in the world, but gradually the standard of hockey started declining due to poor administration and a lack of funds. Therefore, the Pakistani team has been trying to regain their old glory.

Both India and Pakistan are the most successful sides in Asian Champions Trophy history, with three titles each. Last time they locked horns in the Asia Cup 2022 in Jakarta, the match ended in a 1-1 draw. Pakistan overpowered India in the 2016 SAF Games in Guwahati. After that, India has stamped its authority over its arch-rival.

In the last 14 matches, India emerged victorious on 12 occasions, while two matches ended in a draw.

Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh is in tremendous touch in this tournament and has scored five goals so far out of 16 goals scored by the hosts. However, Pakistan has netted seven times.

At the outset, the match is likely to be one-sided, and India will beat Pakistan easily. But uncertainty always looms in sports. So is the case with hockey.