India secured their spot for the final in the Hero Asia Cup Hockey tournament after drubbing the arch rivals Pakistan by 4-0 yesterday at the Maulana Bhashani Hockey Stadium in the capital. It was the second high voltage match between India and Pakistan inside six days, with the former winning both the encounters having a clear margin.

Pakistan was in a must win position to move into the final and India needed only a draw to ensure their place. Pakistan was in tough equation of winning the match with a big margin to play in the final and also began with some good paces and dominated the possessions to go closer to score goals, but solid defense of India successfully denied all the endeavors.

In the very fifth minute, it was a fair chance for Pakistan from which they could have taken an early lead when Muhammed Qadir Arslan paved way for unmarked Mohammed Atique and Shakeel Bhut inside the area.

But none of Qadir or Shakeel Bhut utilized the opportunity when they needed only a touch on a cross from left hand side.

Pakistan were looking for opening their score line in the first quarter but apart from the fifth minute’s effort, could only manage one more shot on goal in the opening quarter, when a Shan Ali’s slides in, lifting the ball over the crossbar on 14th minute.

Pakistan, were desperate to score goals and did all and kept the Indians under tremendous pressure. They also earned two penalty corners in the second quarter but could not convert any of those into goal.

On 22nd minute with a combination of Rizwan and Rashid Mehmud trying to make a variation failed to beat the defense from the PC.

The sting had gone out of the contest of two arch rivals, with the game well and truly had all dominance of Pakistan in the full first half but could not score even a goal from series of attacks.

India, after getting rid of all the pressure of the first two quarters, opened the scoring through Satbir Singh in the third quarter from a counter attack when he netted the ball from the goal-mouth melee on 39th (1-0).

After taking the lead, India did not look back and increased the offensive game. They doubled the advantage on 50th minute and this time Harmanpreet sounded the board with a strong hit from inside the circle (2-0) and Lalit Upadhyay made it 3-0 on 52nd minute.

India enlarged the margin on 57th when it was a lovely pass from Akashdeep inside the area and Gurjant Singh finished well to seal the victory  (4-0) giving no chance to Pakistan keeper Mazhar Abbas, who had denied some of strong earlier efforts.