In a gripping battle of skill and determination, India secured the bronze medal at the Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia, defeating arch-rivals Pakistan in a nail-biting penalty shootout with a final score of 6-5.
The match ended 3-3 in regular time which is why a penalty shootout was needed to separate the two teams.
The encounter saw both teams displaying their talent on the field, with India initially taking a 1-0 lead against Pakistan in the first quarter.
However, Pakistan quickly bounced back and levelled the score at 1-1 during the third quarter.
The final quarter of the game witnessed a dramatic turn of events, as Pakistan fought back from a 2-1 deficit to level the score once more at 2-2.
Both team scored one more goal each to level the score 3-3 at the end of regular time.
With the match still hanging in the balance after regular time, it all came down to a thrilling penalty shootout. In this high-stakes showdown, India managed to maintain their composure and secured the bronze medal with a narrow victory over their traditional rivals.
Remember, Australia edged out Pakistan 2-1 to qualify for the Sultan Johor Hockey Cup final.
Australia in the final of the eight-nation event met Germany who beat India 6-3 in the other semi-final. The final will be played later today.
In the semi-final between Pakistan and Australia, the latter took the lead in the 18th minute through Cooper, who struck a field goal. Broady doubled the lead in the 26th minute. Pakistan, however, reduced the lead to 1-2 when Abdul Hanan Shahid struck a goal.
Earlier, Pakistan in the pool stage had earned seven points after winning against New Zealand and Malaysia with identical margins of 3-2 besides drawing against India 3-3.
