Abhishek's late strike sends India past Pakistan into Asiad hockey final

India's title defence at the Asian Games took a heart-stopping turn before ultimately prevailing over Pakistan in a thrilling men's hockey semifinal. Abhishek's field goal with just 45 seconds remaining proved the difference, handing the defending champions a 4-3 victory and a berth in Friday's final.

India appeared to be cruising to victory after dominating the opening period. Captain Harmanpreet Singh converted two penalty corners in the 5th and 13th minutes, while Sukhjeet Singh added a field goal in the 23rd minute to give the Indians a seemingly insurmountable 3-0 lead at the midway point.

However, Pakistan launched an improbable second-half resurgence that nearly produced one of the tournament's biggest upsets. Abu Mahmood scored in the 30th minute, followed by strikes from Hannan Shahid in the 45th and Waheed Rana in the 49th to level the match at 3-3 and push the contest into a tense finale.

Just when Pakistan appeared poised to pull off an extraordinary turnaround, Abhishek seized the moment to restore India's advantage and secure the semifinal. The victory ensures the defending champions remain on course for a successful title defence.