India produced a dramatic finish against Pakistan on Thursday, defeating their arch-rivals 4-3 in the men's hockey semifinal at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan to book a place in the gold-medal match.
The defending champions appeared to be in complete control after building a 3-0 lead during the match. However, Pakistan fought back strongly and scored three goals in quick succession to level the contest at 3-3, setting up a tense final phase.
With the match heading towards full-time, India found the decisive breakthrough. Abhishek scored in the final seconds to restore India's lead and seal a 4-3 victory.
The result sends India into the Asian Games men's hockey final, where they will compete for the gold medal and attempt to defend their title.
The semifinal was another high-intensity chapter in the long-standing hockey rivalry between India and Pakistan. India's early advantage gave the team control of the contest, but Pakistan's comeback changed the momentum completely and forced India to fight until the final whistle.
The 4-3 scoreline also reflected how closely contested the final stages became. After Pakistan erased India's three-goal advantage, the match appeared to be heading towards extra time before Abhishek's late strike settled the contest.
India's victory adds another major result to an eventful Day 12 of the Asian Games. Earlier in the day, the Indian contingent had secured medals and final berths across several sports.
The men's cricket team also reached the gold-medal match after defeating Sri Lanka by 124 runs in the semifinal. India will face Pakistan in the cricket final, creating another India-Pakistan gold-medal contest at the Games.
In wrestling, Nitesh Siwach reached the men's Greco-Roman 97kg final, while India also secured medals in sailing, archery and women's team squash.
The hockey team will now turn its attention to the final, with the gold medal at stake. After surviving Pakistan's late comeback, India will enter the title match with another opportunity to finish the tournament at the top of the podium.
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