Pakistan breaks the Indian jinx

Despite leading India at half time, it caved in in the second half, helping Pakistan to break the jink of not losing to India in the last five encounters.

India took the lead when Rupinder scored his sixth goal in grand style off India’s first penalty corner, and warded off a few challenges to safeguard the lead at lemon time.

The game after the lemon time was totally different. Pakistan made the Indians dance to their tunes, India was in fact lucky to get away with 1-3 score.

Within two minutes they scored two goals, first from Imran Md. and the second from Sohail off successive penalty corners.

India got two penalty corners in the dying minutes, but could not make use of.

Had India maintained the rhythm it showed in the first half, it would not have had to face the fate as it had ultimately, today.

“We have been losing to India for long, almost a year, so it is good we succeeded today, said victorious captain Imran Mohammad, whose goal in fact changed the face of the contest today. It was his conversion in the 56th minutes that gave the Pakistan the lead, setting the tune for Sohail to consolidate the gains in the next minute in the next penalty corner.

Rupinder Pal converted India’s first penalty corner in the 22nd minute.

In the second half, potential lad Umar Bhutta scored from close range, that equlized the score, and energized the Pakistan to press the gear up.

Indian defence was in shambles in the second half, midfield was almost not functioning, Indian losing possession easily.

Pakistan also brought Shakeel Abbasi to the front from the midfield, Rehan slightly improved his positioning, leaving Zubair, Haseem and Bhutta to do the needful.