After reaching the 200-goal mark in the previous match, India captain Harmanpreet Singh added two more goals on Saturday as they beat 2-1 Pakistan in their final league match of the Asian Champions Trophy at the Moqi Training Base in Hulunbuir, China.
India made it five wins out of five in the tournament, beating all the other participating teams while this was Pakistan's first loss of their campaign. Both teams had made it to the semifinals with Pakistan securing two wins and two draws before facing India.
India were the big favourites before the match but it was Pakistan who started the game on a positive note. India were a bit slow on the ball and Pakistan took advantage with their in-form attacker Hannan Shahid creating the first goal in the 8th with a superb run from the midfield. The finish was applied by Ahmad Nadeem who deflected it past India's Krishan Pathak.
India didn't take long to respond with Harmanpreet equalizing with a thundering dragflick. It was his very first chance of the match and the Indian captain came up with a powerful hit with no chance for the on-the-line defender and the goalkeeper.
Four minutes into the second quarter, Harmanpreet got another big chance from a penalty corner. Once again, he got the power and precision right to ensure India took the lead.
Pakistan's intensity on the pitch went off a bit after India's second goal but they still created a couple of good chances on counter-attack. After the half-time break, India were looking to build from the back and play with control but they struggled to create clear cut chances. It was a match where India's attackers missed their trappings inside the circle and the passes from midfield were also not good enough.
Meanwhile, Pakistan were better on the ball and kept the pressure with their attacking moves but failed to find the equaliser. Pathak pulled off a couple of crucial saves in the third quarter to keep India ahead.
In the final quarter, Pakistan were reduced to 10-men after a 10-minute yellow card for Ashraf Waheed Rana. Pakistan pushed hard despite playing with a man down but India's defence didn't commit any mistakes. India also finished the match with 10-men after a 5-minute yellow card for Manpreet but they managed the game well in the final few minutes to register a win.
The semifinals are scheduled on the 16th with India facing South Korea (at 3.30 PM IST)and Pakistan are up against China.
You can relive the match on our blog below: