A team struggling to find its way back into international hockey against the Olympic bronze medallists is a contest between unequals. But as Pakistan chief coach Tahir Zaman put it, “An India-Pakistan match is always a game of nerves.”
With the downslide of Pakistan hockey, much of their storied rivalry with India has been watered down. But that has hardly dulled the intensity with which the teams play against each other. However, the potency of the contest apart, the gap between the two teams is glaring. And not merely in terms of world ranking or recent results, but in fitness, mental strength, and tactics too, India are head and shoulder above Pakistan.
