By Sundeep Misra, OCA Media
Nagoya, Japan, October 1, 2026: It was a semifinal that tested every nerve in the stadium. After storming to a commanding 3-0 lead by the 23rd minute, India weathered a furious Pakistani comeback before a dramatic late deflection broke the deadlock, sealing a pulse-pounding 4-3 victory with just 49 seconds left on the clock.
Defending Champions India now play 2018 Asian Games silver medallist Malaysia, who earned a hard fought 2-1 victory over Korea.
The match began with India playing with absolute intent. Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh set the tone early in the first quarter, firing in two precise goals from India’s dominant run of seven penalty corners to build a solid 2-0 cushion.
Pakistan attempted to reply through sharp counterattacks and swift movement down the flanks, earning three penalty corners late in the quarter, but Indian defender Amit Rohidas ran them down brilliantly to preserve the advantage.
India’s early dominance culminated when their third goal arrived courtesy of Sukhjeet Singh, who expertly tapped home a slick reverse hit from Shilanand Lakra on the left flank, seemingly putting the match out of reach.
However, momentum is a fickle thing in modern hockey. With just 35 seconds left in the second quarter, Sufiyan Khan pulled one back for Pakistan by converting their sixth penalty corner.
As the game progressed into the second half, defensive lapses began to creep into the Indian half.
Capitalizing on a two-minute green card suspension given to Dilpreet Singh, Pakistan mounted a fierce surge. Shahid Hannan tapped in a cross to narrow the gap to 2-3, and with 11 minutes remaining in regulation, Rana Waheed netted the equalizer, stunning the crowd and locking the score at 3-3.
Reflecting on the tense turnaround, Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh noted that there were mistakes and that, in a semifinal, a few errors can turn the match around, adding: “However, we kept pressing and it paid off in the end.”
India looked rattled during this phase and played sedate hockey, wary of leaving space for Pakistan’s dangerous counterattacks. Former Indian captain and midfielder Manpreet Singh criticized this lapse in control, pointing out: “They should have closed the game down. But the team didn’t play to a plan and let the game drift allowing Pakistan to make a comeback.”
With six minutes left, Pakistan earned their seventh penalty corner, and a goal then could easily have turned the match their way. Once again, Amit Rohidas stood tall as one of the best rushers in world hockey, neutralizing the threat. Just as the stadium braced for a nerve-wracking penalty shootout, Abhishek pushed toward the Pakistan goal more out of hope than intent. The fast-traveling ball caught a lucky deflection off Sufiyan Khan’s stick and trickled into the net, sparking wild celebrations.
Summarizing the emotional rollercoaster at the final whistle, Indian coach Craig Fulton described the harrowing win in just one word: “Relief.”
With a hard-fought ticket to the final punched, India now play Malaysia in the final on Saturday.
In the second semifinal, Malaysia took the lead in the 40thminute after Abu Kamal Azri converted a penalty corner. Korea found the equaliser two minutes later when Lee Gangsam scored a field goal.
Just three minutes later, in the 45th minute, Malaysia converted a penalty stroke to seal the win and book their spot in the Asian Games final.
