HWL2017 Semi-Final, #IndvPak : Six India-Pakistan Hockey Classics

June 18 is a blockbuster Sunday for sports fans in the country, for it will see two much-awaited India v Pakistan match-ups in the same city, London - the first, between the cricket teams of both countries when the final of the ICC Champions Trophy gets underway at Kennington Oval followed by a meeting of the men's hockey teams in the Hockey World League Semi-Final at the Lee Valley Hockey & Tennis Centre.


To whet the appetite, here is a look at six famous India v Pakistan hockey matches:



1960 Olympics



Pakistan had competed in four Olympic Games (1948, 1952, 1956, 1960) without success, owing largely to India's dominance as a hockey force. That changed in 1960, when Abdul Hameed's team claimed gold by beating India 1-0.


 The lone goal of the final was scored in the 11th minute by inside-left Naseer Bunda, who weaved his way past India's strong right-flank and beat the legendary goalkeeper Shankar Lakshman. India, captained by the veteran half-back Leslie Claudius, fought valiantly but could not level the scores thereafter, that Pakistan win ended their unbroken 32-year streak - six successive gold medals - at the Olympics. It was an upset for the ages.



1975 World Cup



Pakistan entered the 1975 as the top team in men's hockey, having won the inaugural World Cup four years earlier. India, led by Ajit Pal Singh, went in determined to bring back the trophy from Kuala Lumpur and did just that, winning three games out of five, including over reigning Olympic champions Germany, to reach the semi-finals. There, they pipped hosts Malaysia 3-2 to set up a tantalising summit clash with Pakistan.


Zahid Shaikh's early goal gave Pakistan the advantage, but it did not last for long as Surjit Singh's converted PC made it 1-1. What followed was a very controversial moment which threatened to sour relations between the two teams - and countries - when a shot from forward Ashok Kumar (son of the legendary Dhyan Chand), hit the goal post and rebounded. 


The Pakistan players protested while Ashok and his team-mates celebrated, and the goal was awarded when the referee ruled that the ball had crossed the line. That was the goal which sealed India's victory, which remains their only World Cup title.



2002 Champions Trophy



This one didn't end well for India, but it was a thriller. In the bronze medal play-off match in Cologne, Germany, India had done everything right to claim a 3-1 lead by the 56th minute - goals scored by Jugraj, Dilip Turkey and Gagan Ajit - only to let it all go by conceding three goals in five minutes. Pakistan's resurgence came in the form of Mudassar Ali Khan - who had earlier scored in the 28th minute - when he converted a lovely pass from Waseem Ahmed in the 63rd minute. 


Two goals from Rehan Butt, who entered the game as a late substitute, in the 65th and 67th minutes completed a remarkable win for Pakistan, leaving India to again rue a bout of the jitters in the dying passages of a game.


Small compensation, if at all, came in Dhanraj Pillay, at the age of 34, being named Player of the Tournament - the first Indian hockey player to win a Champions Trophy individual honour.



2003 Champions Trophy



This thriller took place at Amsterdam's Wagener Stadium, and it was a corker. Pakistan dominated the initial phase of this match, scoring two goals in 20 minutes and then owning a 4-2 lead early into the second half. But then came a most dramatic period of attack from India, sparked by Jugraj Singh, which saw five goals scored - three of which came in the spandex five minutes with hardly ten minutes left on the clock.


Jugraj, at the time a promising drag-flicker with plenty of hopes pinned on him, began to weave his magic when he repeatedly blocked the dangerous Sohail Abbas from PCs, and then slotted in two goals to reduce Pakistan's advantage.


Then, in the 51st minute, Deepak Thakur slotted in a goal off a deflection from Baljit Singh Dhillon to make it 3-4. In the 55th minute, a long pass from Pillay resulted in a fourth goal as Prabhjot Singh beat the Pakistan goal-keeper - and the scores were level. Now sensing something epic, India's forwards applied the pressure on the opposing defenders and in a magical closing period, Gagan Ajit Singh scored twice in the 60th and 61st minutes, followed by Thakur making it 7-3 in the 65th.



2005 Champions Trophy



Following the 1996 edition of the tournament, this one was also held in Chennai, at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium. India had lost their opener to reigning champions Spain 1-2, and when they slipped to 0-2 against Pakistan after a scoreless first half, the signs were not good. But then, stunningly, the hosts scored three goals in the final ten minutes to remain in contention for a podium finish.
The first of those came from Tushar Khandekar in the 60th minute, but what really stunned Pakistan was a brace from a young Sandeep Singh, who would go on to carve a name for himself in the pantheon of Indian hockey. The drag-flicker slapped in two terrific drag-flick goals in the 61st and 66th minutes, from which Pakistan never recovered. As the video below shows, it was riveting hockey from Sandeep.



2010 World Cup



The Indian team, skippered by Rajpal Singh, outplayed Pakistan 4-1 on a dramatic opening day of the World Cup held at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium, which was their first win over the arch-rivals in four matches. Two PCs to Sandeep and a goal each to Shivendra Singh and Prabjot Singh put India up 4-0 before Sohail Abbas converted the sole PC that Pakistan managed in six attempts.



 India dominated the first half, and their win was underlined by some excellent running and passing which in the end proved decisive. India's midfield supremacy left Pakistan searching for answers, and Sandeep's two PCs snuffed out all chances of a comeback.





Source:TimesOfIndia