The sparks flew as expected at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Center as India survived a tough late fight from arch-rivals Pakistan to register a thrilling 4-3 win in their opening match of the FIH Pro League London leg. Meeting on the international stage for the first time in almost two years, the two Asian giants delivered an unforgettable spectacle that lived up to the rich, chaotic history of this age-old rivalry.

The win continues India’s remarkable decade-long unbeaten streak against their neighbors – extending their dominance to 18 matches without a defeat, which now extends to 3784 days.

IND vs PAK, FIH Pro League: Highlights

The defeat left Pakistan at the bottom of the table with no win in 13 matches this season, while India moved up to 7th after getting their third win in 13 matches and progressing to a good Dutch leg of the FIH Pro League.

The lopsided final figures tell a story of total Indian dominance, with the Men in Blue registering an astonishing 30 circles compared to Pakistan’s only nine. Nevertheless, the contest started with a shock for the pre-match favourites. Despite India dictating traffic with 19 circle penetrations and earning nine penalty corners in the first half alone, it was Pakistan who struck first during the game. Ahmed Nadeem took advantage of the rare start in the first quarter to pierce the Indian defense and give the weaker team a surprising lead.

Pakistan’s 22-year-old goalkeeper Ali Raza put up a heroic, lone resistance to keep the Indians at bay. Early in the second quarter, Dilpreet Singh found himself one-on-one with the young shot-stopper and launched a ferocious attack, only for Raza to pull off a brilliant block with his left foot outstretched.

But finally in the 23rd minute Pakistani resistance was broken. Dilpreet immediately regained possession and delivered a brilliant cross into the danger area for Abhishek, who ruthlessly fired a powerful open-play strike into the bottom right corner. A frustrated Pakistan review yielded nothing and the tie remained intact.

The changeover was completed barely 60 seconds later, via a chaotic penalty corner routine. Pakistan’s first rusher did brilliantly to stop the initial flick, but the ball came loose inside the D. Neelkanth Sharma reacted quickest and fired the loose ball towards the bottom left corner. Mandeep Singh effectively tested Raza’s vision as the ball went through several people and into the back of the net to score Nilkanth’s 19th international goal for the blue shirt.

The long struggle was in vain

After the intermission, India continued their relentless pressure and finished an impressive third place. Leading a decisive attack, Sukhjit Singh received a cross into the box with his back to goal. In one fluid motion, the forward turned his marker and delivered a powerful strike that left Raza with no chance.

India’s dominance was further rewarded with its tenth penalty corner in the final quarter. In a clever strategic shift, the informers deployed Captain Harmanpreet Singh as an impostor, allowing Rajinder Singh to take the lead. Rajinder fired a brilliant drag-flick at an awkward, uncomfortable height that eluded the stranded Raza to make it 4-1 with seven minutes left on the clock.

Yet, in line with the volatile nature of this fixture, the Green Shirts refused to surrender. Sensing complacency late on, Abu Bakar pulled one back by taking a deflection through the keeper’s legs to inspire confidence in the Pakistani dugout. With just 15 seconds remaining, Ghazanfar Shakeel took advantage of the desperate goalmouth situation to score Pakistan’s third goal.

Although the final whistle brought much relief to the Indian contingent after a nervy finish, the result reinforced the excellent form shown during the Rotterdam leg. India will look to address its defensive shortcomings before taking on hosts England on June 25, while a formidable Pakistan will be ready to immediately face the English team on Wednesday.

India and Pakistan will face each other again in the second leg on Friday in London.

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