India rout Pakistan at Hockey World Cup 2026 to qualify for second round

India hold off Pakistan 5-3 to finish second with six points as England top Pool D with nine points from three wins.Published On 19 Aug 202619 Aug 2026A 10-man India have staved off Pakistan 5-3 and advanced to the second round of the Hockey World Cup after a crucial encounter for the South Asian neighbours at Wagener Stadium.The victory on Wednesday for eighth-ranked India keeps them in contention for the semifinals while Pakistan were eliminated from the tournament, which is being held in Amstelveen, the Netherlands.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Premier League form guide: Ranking the title contenders for 2026-27 seasonlist 2 of 3Mourinho fires Real Madrid shot at Barcelona saying he ‘didn’t need’ Rodrilist 3 of 3Tennis star Kyrgios provisionally suspended after positive test for cocaineend of listIndia captain Harmanpreet Singh led the way when he opened scoring in the fourth minute from a penalty corner before Abhishek doubled their lead in the 10th minute off a pass from Mandeep Singh.Harmanpreet added one more for India in the 20th minute off a penalty corner before Pakistan’s Hannan Shahid scored off a rebound from the goalkeeper.Abhishek extended the India le...