India vs Pakistan Hockey World Cup 2026 Match: It was goals galore in the second quarter. (AP Photo)

India beat Pakistan 5-3 in a thriller of a match to go through to the second round of the 2026 Hockey World Cup. Pakistan, conversely, have been knocked out. India dominated the first quarter but Pakistan went toe-to-toe in the second and third. There were as many as four goals shared equally between the two sides in nine minutes in the second quarter. India needed to win or draw this match to go through to the second round.

India face Pakistan in a match that they have to win or draw to go through to the next round of the 2026 Hockey World Cup. However, the fact remains that anything less than a win for India will be a huge upset as Pakistan have not managed to beat them for 10 years now. Moreover, an unlikely defeat for India, apart from being arguably the biggest upset of the tournament and one that could have far reaching implications for Indian hockey, will allow Pakistan to jump above them in the Pool D cable and thus go through to the second round.

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Pakistan are still the most succesfull team in the history of the World Cup, having won it five times. They have suffered a spectacular fall from grace this century but just how dominant they used to be against India is shown in the fact that despite Pakistan not winning this fixture for a decade now, they lead the historic head-to-head 84 wins to India’s 73, with 28 draws.

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Why India versus Pakistan is no longer a competitive rivalry in hockey

Last Saturday, play in the middle of a World Cup match had to be stopped because Pakistan’s players had forgotten their kitbag, which contained protective gear, in the changing room. A few months earlier, during the Pro League tour in Australia, they were scrambling for money to pay for their hotel stay.

In another era, both incidents would have been unthinkable.

Pakistan were once hockey’s trendsetters. They won four World Cups, three Olympic gold medals and produced artists who changed how the game was played. They weren’t merely India’s greatest rivals; for long periods, the Green Shirts were India’s tormentors. READ MORE

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