Former India hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh has said that matches against Pakistan are no longer as challenging as they once were, crediting the Indian team's significant strides in fitness, physical strength, tactical awareness, and in-game decision-making. His remarks come ahead of India's high-stakes FIH Hockey Men's World Cup 2026 clash against Pakistan, a fixture that carries added weight following India's defeat to England in their previous group-stage match.

Why India Has the Edge Over Pakistan

'Conceding goals in the last quarter or final minutes used to be a problem for us, but that is no longer the case. Now, we are the ones scoring late to win matches,' Sreejesh said in an interview with JioStar. He traced the shift to the introduction of the four-quarter system and a sustained improvement programme that preceded it. 'Earlier, during the 35-minute halves, we used to make mistakes due to fitness or poor decision-making and let in goals. But since the four-quarter system came in, and even before that, we made big improvements in our fitness, strength, game awareness, and decision-making,' he explained.

Sreejesh acknowledged that Pakistan retain potential as a hockey nation but noted that their current squad does not match the standard of previous generations. 'In the past, India vs Pakistan games were tight, often ending 1-0 or 2-1. Pakistan still have potential, but their current team's level is not the same as before,' he said. This is a notable shift in a rivalry that once defined Asian hockey and routinely produced the tournament's most tense encounters.

Tactical Blueprint: Press High, Stay Compact

On strategy, Sreejesh urged the Indian side to resist the temptation of sitting deep defensively and instead impose themselves with a high press. 'The Indian men's hockey team has been playing a new formation for the past year and a half. That formation mostly forces us into defense, but in the recent Pro League, we pushed up and pressed hard in many matches,' he said.

He drew a distinction between how India should approach European opponents versus the broader World Cup field. 'One important thing is that we need to stay compact in defense when playing against European teams. Otherwise, we should play our natural game in the World Cup. In defense, we used zonal marking, so we need to improve our understanding in that area. We should not drop too deep. We need to step out, press high, and defend even beyond the centre line,' Sreejesh said.

On Harmanpreet Singh's Leadership

Sreejesh also weighed in on the captaincy of Harmanpreet Singh, arguing that a hockey captain's most critical contributions happen away from the playing surface. 'Harmanpreet Singh is a very good captain. On the pitch, a captain's influence is limited because you cannot control every move or player. The person with the ball has to make the decision,' he said.

He elaborated that the real work of leadership lies in team cohesion and communication: 'Most of a captain's work happens off the pitch — keeping the team united, supporting younger players, helping them settle in, creating a positive team environment, taking players' concerns to the coach, clearing doubts, and making sure everyone understands the coach's instructions. So, for a hockey captain, the work off the field is much more important than what you do on the field,' Sreejesh added.

Stakes for India at the World Cup

India's loss to England in their preceding group match has tightened the path to the semifinals, making the Pakistan fixture effectively a must-win scenario in terms of momentum and qualification arithmetic. Notably, the India vs Pakistan hockey rivalry carries enormous public interest and bilateral sporting significance, making this encounter one of the most-watched matches of the tournament. With India's improved conditioning and tactical clarity, Sreejesh's assessment suggests the team is approaching the clash with confidence rather than anxiety.