India beats Pakistan 5-3 in Hockey World Cup, advances to second round

India defeated Pakistan 5-3 in a thrilling Hockey World Cup 2026 Pool D match on August 19, 2026, securing a place in the tournament's second round and eliminating their archrivals from contention. The victory, achieved at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen, extended India's unbeaten run against Pakistan to over a decade.

Captain Harmanpreet Singh led the charge for India, scoring two goals in the first half. He opened the scoring in the 5th minute with a penalty corner and added a second in the 21st minute. Forward Abhishek also netted twice, in the 11th and 24th minutes, while midfielder Hardik Singh converted a penalty stroke in the 34th minute to make it 5-2. Pakistan fought back with a brace from Hannan Shahid in the 22nd and 46th minutes, and a penalty corner goal from Sufyan Khan in the 24th minute.

India dominated the opening quarter, taking a 2-0 lead through Harmanpreet and Abhishek. The second quarter was a chaotic, end-to-end affair with four goals shared between the sides. After Harmanpreet extended India's lead to 3-0, Pakistan responded through Shahid and Khan, but Abhishek restored India's three-goal cushion before halftime. Hardik's goal early in the third...