India will look to secure a spot in the final of Hockey Asia Cup 2017 when they take on arch-rivals Pakistan in the final Super 4s match in Dhaka on Saturday, October 21.
The "Men in Blue" under coach Sjoerd Marijne have lived up to their tag of tournament favourites so far and are on top of the Super 4s with four points from two matches.
Unbeaten and unfazed by the challenges! Next up: Pakistan.#HeroAsiaCup #IndiaKaGame pic.twitter.com/KNLtXBg7Og
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) October 20, 2017
After finishing on top of Pool A with three wins from as many matches, including a 3-1 demolition of Pakistan, India were held by a defensively disciplined South Korean side in the first Super 4s match on Wednesday, October 18. However, Manpreet Singh's men bounced back with a 6-2 crushing of Malaysia in their last match on Thursday, October 19.
India just need a draw in Saturday's match to reach the final (to be played on Sunday, October 22), but they should not be taking Pakistan lightly, considering all four teams, including Malaysia and South Korea, are still in with a chance of finishing at the top two spots of the Super 4s.
Have a look at the Super 4s table
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | Goal Difference | Points |
| India | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | +4 | 4 |
| Malaysia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -3 | 3 |
| South Korea | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Pakistan | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 1 |
India, the two-time champions, have already beaten Pakistan thrice in the ongoing year and thus they will be confident heading into Saturday's high-octane encounter. After crushing Pakistan twice in the Hockey World League semi-final in June, Marijne's side showed their dominance over their rivals with a 3-1 win in the group stages of the ongoing tournament on 15 October.
Marijne, who took over from his Dutch compatriot Roelant Oltmans, is confident of a good show from his men against Pakistan.
"We were happy with the win against Pakistan in our previous match but we know we can perform better. On Saturday, we will go into the match focusing on our structure and stick to the game plan we have against Pakistan," Marijne said on the eve of Saturday's encounter.
When does the match start and how to watch it live
- The final match of the Super 4s stage between India and Pakistan will be played at Maulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium from 5:30pm local time, 5pm IST.
Live streaming and TV coverage
India: TV: Star Sports 2/HD; Live streaming: Hotstar
Malaysia: TV: Astro Arena/HD ; Live streaming: Astro Go
Pakistan: TV: PTV; Live streaming: PTV Sports Live
Japan: TV: TV Tokyo
He added: "Because the stage is open for anybody to make the final, it is exciting to the last moment. As a coach I want my players to perform under pressure and this is the best way to create that scenario. For us, at this moment, it is a lot important to play top international matches because we can raise our level."
India have found a perfect balance between attack and defence in the ongoing tournament. After scoring 15 goals in the group stages, Manpreet's men have slotted in seven more in the Super 4s, conceding only five overall.
Pakistan have troubled India in the past, especially in Asia Cup encounters. However, the "Men in Green" need to be at their best to even stand a chance of troubling the in-form Indian side on Saturday.
