4 min readJun 27, 2026 08:24 AM IST
A penalty corner deflection. A thunderous drag-flick. A calmly converted penalty stroke. And a flurry of spectacular field goals, including a sublime tomahawk finish. By the time the final hooter sounded, the contest had become so one-sided that India were playing with swagger. The Indian Men’s Hockey Team dismantled Pakistan 7-1 in the reverse fixture of the FIH Pro League London leg at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre on Friday, completing a memorable double over their arch-rivals.
India shrugged off an early setback after Pakistan struck first to produce one of their most dominant performances in recent memory. Sukhjeet Singh (20’), Harmanpreet Singh (26’), Hardik Singh (34’), Jugraj Singh (35’), Abhishek (41’), Raj Kumar Pal (44’) and Dilpreet Singh (54’) all found the scoresheet as India stormed to victory and claimed all three points. Midfielder Hardik Singh was named Player of the Match for his commanding display in the middle of the park.
The match began at a frantic pace, with India earning the first penalty corner inside the opening 90 seconds through an enterprising run from Mandeep Singh. While India enjoyed the early possession, Pakistan looked threatening on the counter and earned a penalty corner in the 13th minute. India’s video referral failed to overturn the decision, allowing Pakistan captain Abu Bakar Mahmood to fire home a drag-flick and hand his side a 1-0 lead at the end of the opening quarter.
India took control in the second quarter with crisp passing and intelligent movement that repeatedly stretched the Pakistan defence. Pakistan suffered a setback in the 18th minute when Ahmad Nadeem was struck on the face by a deflected pass from teammate Ali Ghazanfar, forcing him to leave the field.
India took control in the second quarter with crisp passing and intelligent movement that repeatedly stretched the Pakistan defence. (FIH)
The equaliser arrived almost immediately. Harmanpreet Singh’s powerful drag-flick from a penalty corner was expertly redirected into the goal by Sukhjeet Singh in the 20th minute. Six minutes later, India’s captain stepped up again and this time required no deflection, hammering a drag-flick into the top-left corner to put India 2-1 ahead at halftime.
India shifted into another gear after the break. Consecutive penalty corners in the 34th minute earned the Men in Blue a penalty stroke, and Hardik Singh made no mistake from the spot to extend the advantage to 3-1.
Pakistan attempted to respond with two quick penalty corners, but India’s defence stood firm before launching a devastating counterattack. Dilpreet Singh carried the ball forward and linked up brilliantly with Sukhjeet, who squared it for Jugraj Singh to unleash a superb tomahawk into the net and make it 4-1 just a minute later.
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The floodgates had well and truly opened. Sukhjeet turned provider once again in the 41st minute, slipping the ball through for Abhishek, who finished smartly on the run to add India’s fifth. Moments later, sustained pressure earned India four successive penalty corners. On the fourth attempt, Raj Kumar Pal reacted quickest to the rebound from Harmanpreet’s drag-flick and tapped into an open goal to stretch the lead to 6-1.
India remained disciplined at the back while continuing to attack with confidence in the final quarter. Dilpreet capped off an excellent team move with India’s seventh goal in the 54th minute, putting the result well beyond doubt. Pakistan earned two late penalty corners, but veteran Manpreet Singh produced crucial blocks on both occasions to preserve an emphatic 7-1 victory and cap off a memorable evening for India.
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