India beat Pakistan 5-3 at Wagener Stadion to advance to Hockey World Cup second round

India defeated Pakistan 5-3 at the Wagener Stadion in Amstelveen in a Pool D match at the Hockey World Cup on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, securing progression to the tournament's second round.

The match drew a lively crowd of expatriates from both countries, and the pre-match atmosphere retained the teams' customary high-fives; on the field Pakistan largely played on the counter while the Harmanpreet Singh-led Indian side looked for ways to break down a compact defence.

India’s set-piece proficiency remained decisive: Harmanpreet scored twice from penalty corners, opening the scoring in the fourth minute with a powerful drag‑push to the right corner and adding a second corner strike in the 20th minute.

Abhishek Nain provided attacking impetus from the left, using close control and dribbling to create chances and converting twice when his shots took deflections into the net in the 10th and 23rd minutes; India controlled much of the match apart from a dip in intensity in the second quarter.

The result: Pakistan 3 (Hannan 21, 45, Sufyan 24-pc) lost to India 5 (Harmanpreet 4-pc, 20-pc, Abhishek 10, 23, Hardik 34-ps).

Pakistan mounted a revival in the second quarter after Suraj Karkera’s slow reflexes on an initial save allowed Shahid Hannan to push home the rebound; Sufyan Khan scored from a deflection off a first rusher on a penalty corner, Hardik Singh converted a penalty stroke in the third quarter, and Hardik’s subsequent cheap giveaway released Hannan through on goal for Pakistan’s third. Pakistan earned a late penalty corner but failed to convert it, which eased pressure on India in the closing minutes.

India’s victory earned them a place in the second round; they finished second in Pool D with six points, behind England who topped the pool with nine points.