Pakistan and India are former Olympic hockey champions. —File photo by AFP

BURNBURY (Australia): Pakistan held India to a thrilling 1-1 draw to enter the final of the tri-nation hockey tournament here on Tuesday.

The greenshirts have set up the title clash against Australia on the virtue of a better goal difference. Pakistan enjoyed a goal difference of minus six compared to Indian’s minus eight

India, which needed an outright win to qualify for the final, will now play for bronze medal against Australia A.

Pakistan went ahead straight away in the second minute of the game after Indian defence conceded an easy penalty corner.

Veteran Sohail Abbas showed his class, sending his hard push to the right of Indian goalkeeper-captain Bharat Chhetri.

However, after conceding early goal to Pakistan, India’s young sensation Yuvraj Walmiki scored the equaliser in the 26th minute.

India got a fair chances of equalising but Sandeep Singh could not convert that. He took India’s first two penalty corners in the seventh and eighth minute only to see Pakistan goalie Imran Shah rising to the occasions.

For Pakistan, the defence manned by Imran and Irfan Mohammad crushed the many surges of Indian forwards in the last five minutes too see their citadel not pierced.

Pakistan Manager, Olympian Kwaja Junaid accepted their team could not put up expected show but was satisfied at the target being achieved. “We wanted a draw, and we have achieved that. I compliment both sides for the good show. It is what is expected of them. I also agree our penalty corners did not work, though we took the lead using the first one. Sometimes it happens,” he said.

Indian chief coach Michael Nobbs was aghast at Indian forwards for failing to score. “This match was a let down by our forwards. I have to seriously think on our forwards. This type of wasting is not expected from them,” he said. - Agencies