Top five wins by India over Pakistan in hockey

Both teams have a fierce rivalry that stretches back decades.

India and Pakistan is a rivalry that transcends any particular sport. Hockey is another chapter in the historical discord between the neighbouring nations. Both countries are giants in the South-Asian circuit and have dominated several major competitions in the past.

The ongoing Men’s Asian Champions Trophy 2021 will see India and Pakistan renew their rivalry. Bangladesh is playing host to a first meeting in three years between these two behemoths of Asian hockey. This rivalry is one of the biggest in the sport of hockey and has seen multiple contests over multiple decades. Having said that, the Men in Blue has won several times in the past against Pakistan and here are five of their most major wins over them:

5. 2010 World Cup: India 4 - 1 Pakistan

The World Cup is the biggest hockey tournament which is not part of any multi-sports meet. The 2010 edition of the tournament saw India and Pakistan clash in Pool B. While both nations could not win the tournament which was held in India, they had a very exciting contest prior to the conclusion of the event. India won 4 - 1 against Pakistan which was their sole victory in the Pool fixtures.

Shivendra Singh, Prabhjot Singh and Sandeep Singh (2) were the scorers for India while Sohail Abbas was the scorer for Pakistan. India finished eighth while Pakistan finished 12th in the final standings.

4. 1975 World Cup final: India 2 - 1 Pakistan

World Cup 1975 was the third edition of the hockey World Cup which was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. India met Pakistan in the all important final of the tournament which saw the Men in Blue triumph by a 2-1 scoreline. 

Surjit and Ashok Kumar were the scorers for India while Zahid Sheikh found the goal for the Pakistan team. he victory helped India earn their first and only World Cup win till date.

3. 2014 Asian Games final: India 1 (4) - (2) 1 Pakistan

Asian Games is certainly one of the biggest and most important sports event in the world. Hockey is a major event in the meet which sees stiff competition from the heavyweights of the continent. The 2014 edition of the Asian Games saw India and Pakistan play in the gold medal match.  

The final saw both teams finish on level terms after the regulation period with one goal each. The outcome of the match was decided through a penalty shootout. The Men in Blue won by a 4-2 score, thereby winning the gold medal. 

2. 1964 Olympics: India 1 - 0 Pakistan

India has won a record total of eight Olympic gold medals, thus showing their domination in the sport. The 1964 edition of the event was held in Tokyo, Japan. The Men in Blue and Pakistan clashed yet again and the latter were the defending champions coming into the tournament, having won gold at the 1960 Olympics.

After successfully navigating their Pools, the rivals met in the final, vying for the gold medal. The ultimate clash saw India edge past Pakistan by 1-0 thanks to a goal from Mohinder Lal. This was India’s fourth gold medal in the last five Olympics as an independent country.

1. 1956 Olympics: India 1 - 0 Pakistan 

The 1956 Olympics in Melbourne saw India and Pakistan contest in a major final for the very first time in any sport. Randhir Singh Gentle was the sole scorer in the contest which saw the Men in Blue win their second successive gold medal as an independent country.

Interestingly, the Indian hockey team did not concede a single for the whole duration of the tournament, thus showcasing their total domination.

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