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India have been in top form at the ongoing event. (AFP Photo)
This was India’s final league match of the competition and the Paris Olympic bronze medallists have already booked a semifinal spot.
India continued their dominant run in the 2024 Asian Champions Trophy Hockey with a hard-fought 2-1 win over arch-rivals Pakistan in Hulunbuir (China) on Friday. India suffered a setback with Pakistan taking an early lead through Nadeem Ahmed in the eighth minute before skipper Harmanpreet Singh pulled the Paris Olympic bronze medallist on level terms in the 13th minute.
At the start of the second quarter, Harmanpreet sounded the board again to give India the lead which they held onto till the final hooter went off.
Defending champions India have already qualified for the semifinals of the continental tournament and have finished their league stage fixtures by winning five matches in a row.
India thus ended the league stage leading the points table.
India have been in prime form throughout having beaten hosts China 3-0 in their opening clash before outclassing Japan 5-1. Then they swept aside Malaysia 8-1 before registering a 3-1 victory against Korea.
Pakistan, on the other hand, have been resilient in the campaign. They started with two draws in a row before beating Japan 2-1 and then China 5-1.
India have enjoyed an upper-hand over Pakistan. Before today’s clash, at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year, India thrashed Pakistan 10-2. A few months before that, the Indians beat Pakistan 4-0 when the ACT was held in Chennai. At the Asia Cup in Jakarta in 2022, a relatively young Indian side held Pakistan to a 1-1 draw while at the 2021 ACT in Dhaka, India won 4-3 to clinch the bronze medal.
