India defeated Pakistan in the final group stage encounter by 4-0 at the Asian Champions Trophy on Wednesday evening.
India vs Pakistan is often considered as one of the biggest rivalries in any sport. On Wednesday, this rivalry shifted to the hockey turf. The men in blues put on a scintillating performance to thrash their arch-rivals 4-0 in their final group game. This also ended the hopes of Pakistan to qualify for the semifinals. Although the overall stats points favourably towards our arch-rivals, things have improved in recent years. The Indian hockey team has improved holistically at an unprecedented level. This can be seen in the recent performances of the men in blue in the recently concluded Olympics in Tokyo.
Initially, the Indian fans received a minor shock when the Pakistani team opened up the scoring. However, the goal was disallowed as the ball hit the chest of a Pakistani player before scoring. This restored the calmness in the Indian fans. After this, it was all India as the men in blue swooped in like an eagle and snatched away the win from Pakistan. One of the key highlights of this match was the penalties. Out of the 4 goals that India scored, 3 were from penalties. This showed the ferocious level of attack that the men in blue possess.
India produced an emphatic show in the final group stage encounter against Pakistan, beating them 4-0 at the Asian Champions Trophy on Wednesday evening. The outcome saw India finish as the leader after the group-stage encounters. On the other hand, Pakistan is eliminated from the tournament. Skipper Harmanpreet Singh scored twice against the men in green. Both goals came from the penalty corners. Jugraj Singh too got his name on the scoresheet. The Indian team defender converted another penalty corner in the third quarter. Akashdeep Singh hammered the final nail in the coffin, tapping in a ball from Mandeep in the final quarter.
Throughout the game, Pakistan tried to create openings to attack. However, Indian defenders like Jarmanpreet Singh, Harmanpreet Singh and Jugraj Singh foiled all attacks from their opponents. India’s watertight defence also ensured that the Indians come out with a clean sheet against Pakistan. Pakistan’s last hope of qualifying was diminished after Japan won against China (2-1). The Indian team will now take on Japan in the semifinals at Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium on Friday. India drew 1-1 with Japan in its earlier meeting in the pool stages. Elsewhere second-placed Malaysia will face South Korea in the first semifinal.
Twitter was bustling with great joy as India thrashed its arch-rivals. India vs Pakistan is always a big deal in the sporting arena. Naturally, the netizens took to social media to celebrate this win. Listed below are the top Twitter reactions:
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