India advance to Hockey World Cup second round after 5-3 win over Pakistan
Eighth-ranked India secured their place in the second round of the 2026 tournament despite playing with 10 men, while Pakistan were eliminated from the competition.
India has qualified for the second round of the Hockey World Cup 2026 after a 5-3 victory over Pakistan at Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen, the Netherlands. The result ensures that the eighth-ranked team finishes second in Pool D with six points, keeping them in contention for a place in the semifinals. Conversely, the defeat results in Pakistan’s elimination from the tournament.
The match, described as a crucial encounter for the South Asian neighbours, saw India captain Harmanpreet Singh open the scoring in the fourth minute from a penalty corner. Abhishek extended the lead in the 10th minute following a pass from Mandeep Singh, before Harmanpreet added a second goal of his own in the 20th minute from another penalty corner.
Pakistan responded through Hannan Shahid, who scored off a rebound from the goalkeeper. Abhishek subsequently extended India’s lead to 4-1, a goal the source described as a lucky deflection off Pakistan’s stick. Sufyan Khan narrowed the gap to 4-2 at halftime with a dragflick from a penalty corner.
In the third quarter, Hardik Singh converted a penalty stroke to make it 5-2. The quarter concluded with India holding a three-point lead, while both Pakistan’s Zikriya Hayat and India’s Rajinder Singh received green cards. Pakistan rallied to make it 5-3 just as the fourth quarter began, with Shahid scoring in the 45th minute after Hardik lost possession in the midfield.
India’s video review taken by Dilpreet Singh in the 53rd minute was unsuccessful. The team faced further difficulty when Aditya Lalage received a yellow card in the 55th minute, ruling him out for the remainder of the match. Despite playing with 10 men for the final minutes, India held off Pakistan to seal the win.
England consolidated their position at the top of Pool D with a commanding 8-2 win over Wales earlier on Wednesday. With a perfect nine points from three match victories, England are through to the semifinals. In the second round, England and India will face the Netherlands and either Argentina or New Zealand.
