There are noticeably odd results in the different pool matches being played in the Men’s Hockey World Cup at the Kalinga stadium in Bhubaneshwar. Nobody can predict which teams will finally enter the quarter-final rounds.
Malaysia and Pakistan did not reach the next rounds, as per the deciding result, and the match ended in a draw. Will they be forced out of the game? However, Pakistan’s players did not show their natural flair during the course of the game. Its ace player Hasan Sardar also appeared dejected. It needs to win against Holland, in any case. It will be the first time that Pakistan’s chances of entry into the next vital round of the match are dwindling.
Nobody knows, and very the thought of a likely defeat has certainly made them uneasy, and put them on the edge. However, their movements during the match demonstrated their improving rhythm, and their efforts to plunge deeper into the circle area, desperately trying to send the ball away to the opponent’s gaping goalpost.
This remained a very awkward position for both the teams as a victory in the next match against their dominant opponents is a must for clear access into the further set of the sporting clash. Four-time champions, Pakistan played out a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Malaysia.
Both the teams remained in a frantic pursuit for a knock-out place in the game. After failing an impasse for about fifty minutes of fleeting time, Pakistan’s player Atiq scored a gleaming goal against Malaysia, but the latter’s equaliser came sooner than expected with Faizal Saari’s conversion of a penalty corner.
Pakistan attacked mostly through the centre, with 80% of their circle entries coming from that area, while Malaysia tried to find spaces and gaps on the right side. Both the teams made continual raids with pace and trickery on either end but badly lacked the final decisive pass inside the box.