Nagoya: The Indian men's hockey team secured a thrilling 4-3 victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in the semi-finals of the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Thursday. Defending champions India looked to be cruising toward a comfortable win after dominating the early exchanges, but were forced to dig deep as Pakistan staged a fierce second-half comeback. The high-octane encounter was ultimately decided in the final minute when forward Abhishek struck a brilliant field goal to settle the contest and book India's place in the gold-medal match.

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Harmanpreet and Sukhjeet Dominate Early Exchanges

India stamped their authority on the match from the opening whistle, racing to a commanding 3-0 lead. Captain Harmanpreet Singh led the charge with a trademark brace from penalty corners in the first quarter, taking his tournament tally to double figures. Shilanand Lakra then set up a superb attacking move down the left flank in the second quarter, finding teammate Sukhjeet Singh, who calmly tapped the ball home to extend India's advantage and leave the opposition struggling to cope with the relentless circle penetrations.

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Pakistan Fight Back Before Late Winner

Pakistan refused to surrender easily, launching an aggressive counter-offensive after the interval to stun the defending champions. Pakistan clawed their way back into the semi-final through goals from Abu Baker Mahmood and Shahid Hannan, before pulling level at 3-3 in the final quarter. Just as extra-time loomed, Abhishek broke through the defensive line in the 60th minute to score the decisive goal, sealing a dramatic 4-3 triumph that keeps India's gold-medal defence alive.