India defeated Pakistan 4-3 in a dramatic men’s hockey semifinal at the 2026 Asian Games on Thursday, October 1, securing a place in the gold-medal match after Abhishek scored with 45 seconds remaining.
The India Pakistan hockey semifinal appeared to be heading for a shootout after Pakistan recovered from a three-goal deficit. India captain Harmanpreet Singh scored twice from penalty corners, Sukhjeet Singh added the third, and Abhishek delivered the late winner.
India Pakistan hockey semifinal turns late
India controlled the opening phase and went ahead in the fifth minute when Harmanpreet converted a penalty corner. He struck again in the 13th minute, giving the defending champions a 2-0 lead before the end of the first quarter.
Sukhjeet made it 3-0 in the 23rd minute after finishing a move created from the left side. Pakistan responded just before half-time through Abu Mahmood, whose 30th-minute penalty-corner goal reduced India’s advantage to 3-1.
Pakistan’s pressure increased after the interval. Hannan Shahid scored in the 45th minute, and Waheed Rana equalised in the 49th to complete the comeback. The score remained 3-3 as the semifinal approached its final minute.
Abhishek then connected with the ball near the goalmouth. His effort took a deflection off a Pakistan defender and beat goalkeeper Ali Raza, putting India back in front with 45 seconds on the clock. Pakistan pressed again, but India protected the 4-3 lead through the closing moments.
Gold-medal opportunity remains alive
The victory keeps India’s Asian Games title defence alive and sends Pakistan into the bronze-medal playoff. India will play the winner of the other semifinal between South Korea and Malaysia in the gold-medal match.
The performance also left India with clear areas to address. The team built a commanding lead through aggressive play and penalty-corner pressure, but Pakistan’s second-half recovery exposed defensive lapses and a drop in intensity. India Today reported that the result extended India’s unbeaten run against Pakistan to 21 matches.
Harmanpreet’s two early conversions were central to India’s advantage, while Abhishek’s intervention prevented the match from moving to a shootout. The final will offer India a chance to retain the continental title after surviving its closest contest of the tournament so far.
