India Face Pakistan in FIH Pro League London Leg Opener

The Indian men's hockey team is set to face arch-rivals Pakistan in the opening match of the London leg of the FIH Pro League on Tuesday. This encounter marks the first meeting between the two sides since India's 2-1 victory in the Asian Champions Trophy in Hulunbuir, China, in 2024.

India enter the match with strong momentum following a 3-2 win over world number two Netherlands in their final match of the Rotterdam leg. Jugraj Singh, Abhishek, and Rajinder Singh scored in that victory, which followed a 3-1 win over reigning world champions Germany. Overall, India won two of their four matches in Rotterdam.

The head-to-head record heavily favours India, who remain undefeated across 17 matches against Pakistan over the last 10 years, with 15 wins and two draws. Pakistan, meanwhile, have struggled in the Pro League, losing all 11 of their matches this season against Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain, and face the prospect of relegation.

India are currently placed eighth in the nine-team Pro League standings, ahead of Pakistan who are yet to earn a point. The Indians will also face England on Thursday and Pakistan again on Friday in the London leg. Coach Craig Fulton emphasized the need for discipline: "For us, it's important that we treat the fixture against Pakistan like any other game and focus on our processes. If we really do that well, then the result takes care of itself."

The tournament serves as preparation for India ahead of major events later this year, including the FIH World Cup and the Asian Games, which also acts as an Olympic qualifier. While India's penalty corner conversions have been a strength, the team continues to work on avoiding late goals, as seen when they conceded a 59th-minute goal against Netherlands despite leading 3-1.