India edged Pakistan 4-3 in the Asian Games semi-final, with Abhishek scoring a late goal, despite a defensive collapse from a 3-0 lead.

Updated on: Oct 1, 2026, 15:12:09 IST

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NEW DELHI: Abhishek’s dramatic field goal with just 49 seconds left on the clock salvaged a heart-stopping 4-3 victory for India over rivals Pakistan in the Asian Games semi-final on Friday in Kakamigahara.

The late strike propelled India into the gold medal match against either Malaysia or South Korea, extending their decade-long unbeaten streak against Pakistan to 22 matches. Yet, beneath the euphoria of reaching the final lies a stark warning for chief coach Craig Fulton – a near-disastrous defensive collapse that saw India squander a commanding 3-0 lead.

“We started very well but in the second half we made many mistakes, especially in our defence. They used those opportunities to score some quick goals. But we knew our structure and maintained it which also made able to score the goal in the final minute. It is a good lesson for us to learn and perform better in the final,” India skipper Harmanpreet Singh said after the match.

"Despite not getting PCs in the second half we still had opportunities. We could have scored more goals especially when they were down to 10-men. We conceded many silly goals. In the second half we should not have made mistakes like we did. Hope to work on these and perform better in the final.

"I think without ball we made more mistakes and also during the one on one tackles. We remained calm which helped us score a goal in the last minute. We maintained possession which helped us create the opportunity to score the final goal," Harmanpreet added.

The match was a tale of two halves, perfectly encapsulating both India’s blistering attacking pedigree and their lingering defensive fragility.

India dictated the tempo from the opening whistle, playing heavily in the Pakistani half. Deploying a deliberate strategy of launching long aerial balls directly into the 25-yard line, India expertly bypassed the midfield to catch Pakistan’s defence off guard.

It paid immediate dividends. Harmanpreet breached the defence of Pakistani goalkeeper Ali Raza just five minutes in, unleashing a drag-flick with sheer power that left the rushers helpless.

With Hardik Singh serving as the fulcrum in the midfield – dictating the game’s rhythm with old-school flair – India relentlessly pressed forward. In the 13th minute, a brilliant decoy routine involving Jugraj Singh shifted the angle of the penalty corner (PC) battery, allowing Harmanpreet to effortlessly slot home his and India’s second goal.

The dominance of the defending champions peaked in the 23rd minute with a moment of pure magic. Shilanand Lakra delivered the pass of the day from the baseline, a sensational reverse-stick feed that completely paralysed the Pakistani defence.

With the opposition frozen, assuming the ball was heading out, forward Sukhjeet Singh stepped up for a simple tap-in to make it 3-0. It seemed India, bolstered by striker Mandeep Singh celebrating his 300th international appearance, was cruising to a victory.

However, momentum in hockey is fickle. Pakistan, now coached by former India high performance director Herman Kruis, leveraged his intimate knowledge of the Indian ecosystem to orchestrate a stunning comeback.

The collapse began with complacency. Just three minutes before halftime, an indisciplined error by Dilpreet Singh – failing to retreat behind the 5m mark – gifted Pakistan a PC. Skipper Abu Bakar Mahmood capitalised on a poor trap to slip the ball past India goalkeeper Mohith HS right at the stroke of half-time.

Returning from the break, India’s early aggression vanished. Despite creating chances, including a blistering reverse hit by Abhishek that rattled the post, India lost control of the midfield transition.

The turning point arrived in the dying seconds of the third quarter. With Dilpreet sitting out on an unnecessary green card, India switched off completely. Ghazanfar Ali carved through the right flank, finding an unmarked Hannan Shahid, who easily converted an open goal after Karkera was drawn out of position.

Suddenly, a 3-0 walkover had become a tense 3-2 dogfight. Pakistan, thriving on turnover counterattacks and punishing India’s fundamental errors, smelled a chance of levelling the scores.

In the 49th minute, a glaring defensive lapse involving Harmanpreet and Rajinder exposed India’s backline. Hannan scooped the ball over the defenders to Waheed Ashraf Rana, who fired it into the open net to level the scores at 3-3.

The equaliser prompted Fulton into a desperate tactical switch, pulling Mohith out and bringing the experienced Karkera into the goal to stabilise a panic-stricken defence.

The final 10 minutes descended into chaos. Pakistan pressed relentlessly for a winner, earning a crucial PC with seven minutes to go. India survived only through the heroics of Amit Rohidas, whose fearless first-rushing neutralised the threat, even as Vivek Sagar Prasad scrambled to clear the ensuing danger.

With the clock ticking down and a dreaded penalty shootout looming, India mounted one final, desperate attack. A PC earned with 90 seconds left was overturned by a Pakistani video referral.

But India kept the ball alive in the striking circle. With just 49 seconds remaining, Abhishek unleashed a speculative shot that deflected off Sufyan Khan and into the net, sealing the 4-3 win.

Statistically, India deserved the result. They dominated possession (54%), nearly doubled Pakistan’s circle penetrations (22 to 12), and converted two of their seven PCs. Yet, allowing a vastly outplayed, less-fit Pakistani side back into the match through unforced errors, disciplinary cards, and quarter-end complacency reveals a fragile big-game temperament.

As India prepares for the final, addressing these dangerous defensive lapses will be just as critical as celebrating their late escape.

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