When Pakistan struck a goal as early as third minute from the start of the Incheon final match, one expected a flurry of goals in the remaining 57 playing minutes, rush of adrenalin, raised sticks, body elbows, mouthful etc.

This has been the trend of any India-Pakistan encounter so far even in bilateral test match, a time tested fact.

The expectation was due to the reality that both sides will go for the kill, laden with emotion at the cost of team’s energy, with a result match going electric, and then one side ultimately scoring lot many goals as happened in 2003 Champions Trophy for instance. Or 1-7 at New Delhi 24 summers ago.

Thankfully, the Incheon India-Pak encounter did not transpire the traditional way.

Thanks to the new style the Indian team is being imparted, Indians did not press panic button, did not engage in wasteful but delightful fast solo runs and then all the time depositing the ball on the edge of the circle and then rue the missed chances.

India truly played like a professional side, focussing on ball possession and exchangein comfort zones, hawkishly waiting for a thrust here or there.

Slowly, the patience and compact game, flawless hockey took control of the proceedings, placing Pakistan on backfoot, were made to struggle for even the ball not to speak of scoring.

This is how a desperate first part of first quarter was slowly consumed and turned into utter domination of second quarter, in which Ramandeep Singh and SV Sunil alone missed a brace of chances.

The goal Chenglensana struck off inform Gurbaj Singh was a delightful dividend of opportune goal for which the team had been training for well over a year.

That both sides played with caution rather than age-old aggression proved perfect antithesis of Asian hockey exemplified by both former giants so far.

It is to the credit of Pakistan that it came back into the game in the third quarter, almost playing a style that India portrayed in the second quarter, but with a tendency to make solo runs.

Sardar Singh of India, who has matured to be a match maker rather than name-maker, did a marvellous job of stealing the ball down under the nose of a forward who dazzled with electric runs into the circle, thus rendering any fancy or solo runs null and void.

Indian team, interested in ball possession and rotation, got two chances to strike through penalty corners, but on both occasions Rupinder Singh’s high drags were palmed away by the really improving youngster Imran Butt, the goalie.

When got the first of the two PCs in the 22nd minute, India had the added advantage of reduced defence as a ever-rushing greenshirt got a green card suspension, but Imran proved his presence is just enough.

India’s second PC — got due to clever backhand pass of Nikkin — was obtained midway through fourth quarter, but Imran was again the bulwark.

Chenglensana, whose shoulder high attempts to deflect D-centric feeds twice, made amends moments later to deflect a freehit four minutes before the halftime, and the lightening speed it was achieved is what can do wonders for India in the days to come.

Twice in the 50th and 51st minutes India had two close shaves and moments before the hooter it had its chance one, but Dharamvir who would create history in the penalty shoot out just missed from near right backline.

Imran Mohd, took the only penalty corner of Pakistan (35th min) only to see Sreejesh stopping it though a rebound shot by Shakeel Abbasi had to bring in him another reflex to the fore.

Over all, India to large extent, and Pakistan to some extent did not indulge in energy-sapping individual hockey, that almost went against the spirit and thrill behind any encounter between the two classic sides.

Both sides have thoroughly understood wastefulness of entertaining hockey, a bad augury for purists and conneisseurs, but were in sync with modern trend.

This is a good trend, a new wisdom in both sides. As a result, we may not have witnessed a high-voltage, eventful, end to end stuff at Incheon finals, like at Delhi World Cup, Busselton, Amsterdam CT but an effective game.

That’s why the contest, witnessed with enthusiasm in both counties, did not produce many goals, but fought full 60 minutes without one side compromising the other, both exercing firm grip on the proceedings.

That the fate of the match had to be decided via penalty shoot out proved near equality of both sides, except India was totally a cool side and Pakistan inching towards the same cool standard.

It would have been a farce had Pakistan won second penalty shoot out too, after it had one against Malaysia, and it was quite a poetic justice the other side, which defeated its semifinal rival in full time, emerged success.

Don’t worry we have not witnessed exciting hockey, but exciting result.