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India versus Pakistan encounters have often been treated like a slugfest which is always more than just a game. Historically the two subcontinent nations have had a fierce rivalry and it's not just restricted to sports but also on the political grounds. Due to the political tensions the two teams have not played each other on a regular basis in cricket but whenever they have faced each other the excitement amongst the fans has been on Cloud nine. With the hockey world cup approaching it would be interesting the find out the head-to-head record between the two teams. Notably, India are hosting the Hockey World Cup 2023 while their arch-nemesis Pakistan won't be featuring in the marquee event as they failed to qualify for the showpiece.
While India have dominated on the Olympic stage, Pakistan have ruled the World Cup event. But the recent performances of both the teams have affected the stature of the encounter.
Be it winning the Olympic gold or lifting the World Cup. India and Pakistan have had tremendous success. The first time when the teams faced each other was in 1956 Olympic final. Before this meeting, India had already won five Olympic gold while Pakistan managed to reach the top four twice in the format but always fell short of winning the medal. Clearly the dominant side India went onto face Pakistan seven times in the Olympics. While India dominated the early stage, Pakistan has a better head-to-head record against India in Olympics. Of the 7 encounters, Pakistan won on 4 occasions while India got the better of Pakistan only twice. In terms of overall record India have won Olympic gold medal 8 times while Pakistan have won it thrice.
Head-to-Head
India and Pakistan have clashed a total of 178 times. The first encounter in this was the 1956 Melbourne Olympic final. Pakistan holds the edge over India in the overall head-to-head. Pakistan has won 82 times while India has won only 64 times. At the same time, there have been 32 matches which ended in a draw.
Clash in world cup
Talking about the results at the world stage, both the teams have faced each other 5 times. In this, India has won 3 times. Whereas Pakistan has won only twice. On the other hand, talking about the goals, India has scored a total of 10 goals against Pakistan while Pakistan has scored 7. In terms of winning the World Cup India has only done it once i.e. in the year 1975. Whereas Pakistan has won the World Cup 4 times i.e. in 1971, 1978, 1982 and 1994.
When did the two teams clash in the World Cup?
The first clash between the Asian giants happened in the year 1971 in Barcelona. Pakistan won that match 2-1. The teams then met in 1973 in the World Cup. This World Cup was organized in Amsterdam. India defeated Pakistan 1-0 in this World Cup. Talking about the third World Cup, in the year 1975 both the teams faced each other in Kuala Lumpur. In this World Cup, India sealed the match 2-1. In the fourth World Cup i.e. in the year 1986, the 2 faced in London. In this World Cup, Pakistan defeated India 3-2. The 2 had to wait for a face off until 2010. After a long gap, the 2 rivals once again were face to face. This World Cup took place in New Delhi where India had a thumping 4-1 victory over Pakistan. Ever since the 2 sides haven't faced each other and the wait continuous as Pakistan's have failed to qualify for the 2023 World Cup.
Apart from this, if we talk about the players who have scored the most goals from both the teams, Sohail Abbas has scored the maximum - 54 goals for Pakistan from the period of 1998 to 2012. On the other hand, Sandeep Singh has scored a total of 20 goals for India against Pakistan from 2004 to 2012.
