WAGAH, Feb 15: Pakistan hockey team on Wednesday crossed over to India through Wagah border for three Tests of six-match home-and-away series against India.

The 27-member team, including 20 players, were given a warm welcome by Olympian Balwinder Singh Shammi and several top officials of Indian Customs, Border Security Force and Punjab Police.

The first two Tests will be held in Chandigarh on Feb 17 and 18 while third will be played at Jalandhar on Feb 20.

Pakistan team will return on Feb 21 through Wagah border for second leg of series. The first match would be held at Rawalpindi on Feb 22, second at Faisalabad on Feb 24 and third at Lahore on Feb 26.

Officials accompanying Pakistani players are manager M. Saeed Khan, chief coach Asif Bajwa, assistant coach Rana Mujahid Ali, team doctor Riaz Ahmed, psychotherapist Zulfiqar Ahmed Iqbal and video analyst Muhhammad Nadeem Khan Lodhi. Former Olympians Muneer Ahmed Dar and Khalid Mahmood also reached India on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Indian hockey captain Dilip Tirkey will Miss initial part of Indo-Pak six-Test hockey series to be played on home-and-away basis.

Tirkey, who got married on Feb 6, is likely to miss first two matches at Chandigarh on Feb 17 and 18 because of “personal” reasons.

However, ace defender, who missed out on India’s last International outing in Champions Trophy in Chennai due to illness, will lead side in three Tests to be played in Pakistan from Feb 22 to 26.—Agencies

Our Sports Correspondent adds from Lahore: Twenty-member Pakistan hockey team without video analyst left for India via Wagha border on Wednesday.

Analyst Nadeem Khan Lodhi could not get visa with the players but his application is under consideration by the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad, a spokesman for the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) said.

Former Olympian Khwaja Zakauddin was also not issued visa as his invitation had not been received by the Indian visa authorities from the Indian Hockey Confederation.

The team will stay in Amritsar on Wednesday’s night and will leave for Chandigarh where the first and second match will be played on Feb 17 and 18.

The third match will be played at Jalandhar on Feb 20.

Meanwhile, team coach Asif Bajwa said the series with India was important for the preparation of the next month’s Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia.

“We can not rule out the importance of the series against India as Pakistan have to play first match in the Commonwealth Games against India and the series will give us good opportunity to know their shortcomings,” Bajwa claimed.

Captain of the team Muhammad Saqlain said the boys worked very hard to remove their mistakes of the last Champions Trophy during the training camp held in Islamabad last week.

He vowed to avoid mistakes during the series.