India beat Pakistan 5-3, advance in Hockey World Cup

India defeated Pakistan 5-3 in a Pool D match of the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup at Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen on Wednesday, extending their unbeaten run against their arch-rivals to a decade and securing a place in the second round. Captain Harmanpreet Singh and striker Abhishek scored two goals each, with Harmanpreet converting penalty corners in the 5th and 21st minutes and Abhishek scoring from open play in the 11th and 24th minutes. Hardik Singh added a penalty stroke in the 34th minute. Pakistan, playing their first World Cup in eight years, fought back through a brace from Hannan Shahid (22nd, 46th) and a penalty corner from Sufyan Khan (24th), but India held on despite playing the final minutes with 10 men after Aditya Arjun received a yellow card.

India finished second in Pool D with six points from three matches, behind England who top the group with nine points. Pakistan were eliminated from the tournament. The Times of India reports that the win was significant given the rivalry's history at Wagener Stadium, where the teams last met during the 1973 World Cup semifinal. NDTV Sports noted that before the match the teams exchanged high-fives instead of handshakes, but shook hands after full-time, a gesture that drew attention given the political tensions that have affected India-Pakistan cricket relations.