India edged Pakistan 4-3 in a nail-biting Asian Games hockey semi-final on Thursday, scoring the decisive goal in the final minute to secure a place in the gold-medal match.
India made an aggressive start, with captain Harmanpreet Singh scoring in the fifth and 13th minutes to give his side a 2-0 lead.
Sukhjeet Singh extended India’s advantage in the 23rd minute, putting Pakistan 3-0 down.
Pakistan then mounted a strong comeback. Abu Mahmood scored in the 30th minute to reduce the deficit before Hannan Shahid scored a field goal in the 45th minute.
Rana Waheed Ashraf then levelled the match at 3-3 with his goal in the 49th minute, setting up a tense finish.
With the match heading towards a possible shootout, India’s Abhishek scored in the 60th minute to restore his side’s lead and secure a 4-3 victory.
India will face either Malaysia or South Korea in the final, while Pakistan will play the losing semi-finalist for the bronze medal.
