Amstelveen , India will look to extend its decade-long unbeaten run against Pakistan and seal a place in the second round of the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup when the arch-rivals clash in a high-stakes Pool D match here on Wednesday.
For Pakistan, only captain Mahmood and Ammad Butt have previous World Cup experience in the current squad, adding another dimension to a contest in which India will start as favourites but cannot afford complacency. India opened their campaign with a 3-1 win over Wales but suffered a 2-4 defeat against world No. 3 England after conceding three goals in the second half. India have enjoyed the upper hand in recent meetings and defeated Pakistan 7-1 and 4-3 in the European leg of the Pro League earlier this year. Pakistan’s last win over India came in the 2016 Champions Trophy. The last time both teams met in a World Cup was in Delhi in 2010, when India, led by Rajpal Singh, defeated Pakistan 4-1. Pakistan subsequently missed the 2014 and 2023 World Cups and did not meet India in the 2018 edition.
India’s most experienced player Manpreet Singh, with 419 caps, said his side would not underestimate Pakistan. “The match against Pakistan will be good, but we are not underestimating them. They also have good drag-flickers, so we will have to avoid giving them penalty corners. We must also create opportunities and capitalise on them. “Rankings or past performance don’t matter in a match between India and Pakistan.
We must focus on our natural game,” Manpreet said. The team that plays well on match day will win, and we know how important this match is for our hockey, so we will leave no stone unturned,” he said.
