– by Pratyusha Mukherjee, Kakamigahara,Japa
India booked their place in the men’s hockey final at the Asian Games 2026 after producing a dramatic 4-3 victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in a pulsating semi-final.
India appeared to be cruising after taking a commanding 3-0 lead, but Pakistan staged a stunning comeback to level the contest at 3-3. With just 49.2 seconds remaining, Abhishek struck the decisive goal to send India into the final and keep their title defence alive.
Harmanpreet Singh was the star of India’s early dominance, scoring twice from penalty corners, while Sukhjeet Singh added the third goal. Pakistan responded through Abu Mahmood, Hannan Shahid and Waheed Ashraf Rana to complete a remarkable fightback.
India started brightly, controlling possession and keeping Pakistan under pressure. After their first two penalty corners were unsuccessful, a successful video referral gave India another opportunity. Pakistan goalkeeper Ali Raza initially denied Harmanpreet, but India continued to press.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the fifth minute when Harmanpreet fired a powerful penalty-corner strike through Raza’s legs to put India ahead.
India doubled their advantage in the 13th minute when Harmanpreet once again converted from a penalty corner, sending a low flick into the left corner.
Sukhjeet then made it 3-0 in the 23rd minute. Shilanand Lakra did brilliantly to keep the ball in play near the baseline before sending it across goal, allowing Sukhjeet to deflect it past the goalkeeper.
Pakistan refused to surrender. Abu Mahmood pulled one back in the 30th minute, reducing the deficit to 3-1 before half-time.
Pakistan returned from the interval with renewed intensity. After several missed opportunities, Hannan Shahid scored in the 45th minute following a scramble in front of the Indian goal to make it 3-2.
The comeback was completed in the 49th minute when Waheed Ashraf Rana found the net to level the match at 3-3. India responded by bringing goalkeeper Suraj Karkera back onto the field in place of Mohith HS.
The final minutes were filled with drama as both teams searched for the winner. Pakistan survived an Indian penalty-corner opportunity after a successful referral, while goalkeeper Raza produced two important saves to keep his side alive.
But India had the final say.
With only 49.2 seconds left on the clock, Abhishek pushed the ball towards goal from the edge of the circle. The attempt took a deflection off Sufiyan Khan’s stick and found the backboard, sparking jubilant celebrations in the Indian camp.
India held on through the closing seconds to secure a thrilling 4-3 victory and advance to the Asian Games final.
The defending champions will face the winner of the second semi-final between Malaysia and South Korea in the gold-medal match on October 3.
The match also marked a significant milestone for Mandeep Singh, who made his 300th senior international appearance.
India were forced into one change from their previous match, with Nilakanta Sharma replacing Raj Kumar Pal, who was ruled out after suffering a fractured thumb against Bangladesh.
