India made a strong start to their much-anticipated clash against Pakistan at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 in Amstelveen, Netherlands, with the first two quarters largely belonging to the tournament favourites.

India did not take long to justify their billing as favourites, taking control of the proceedings early and putting Pakistan's defence under sustained pressure. Indian skipper Harmanpreet Singh opened the scoring with a thrilling penalty-corner goal in the first quarter, setting the tone for a high-intensity contest.