India v Pakistan was the beginning of hockey rivalry on the global stage. Emotionally charged close matches were almost always the order of the day since the early 1900s. But not anymore. In the recent past, World No. 5 India are not just way above World No. 13 Pakistan in the rankings ladder, but in terms of performances too, the Indians have had their tails up. At the recent Asian Champions Trophy, India beat Pakistan 3-1 in the league stage following which rain forced them to share the title in the final.

Advantage India
A couple of months before that, India beat Pakistan 2-1 to win the bronze medal at the Asian Games. Since, 2010 both teams have played each other 35 times, with India emerging victorious 19 times, maintaining a clear supremacy — something that Pakistan skipper Muhammad Rizwan Senior has absolutely no qualms in admitting. "India have been enjoying a fine run in international hockey for a few years now. They are clearly better than us currently. And the main reason for this is that they have benefitted from their franchise-based Hockey India League, where their players have brushed shoulders with the crème de la crème of world hockey," Rizwan Sr told mid-day at the Kalinga Stadium here yesterday.