Thursday, 1 October, turned into one of India’s busiest days yet at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The men’s hockey team survived a late scare to beat Pakistan 4-3 and reach the gold medal match, while the men’s cricket team blew away Sri Lanka to set up a first-ever Asian Games final against Pakistan. Results also came in from squash and wrestling, where India picked up a bronze and moved a step closer to a historic gold.
Taken together, the day’s results capture both the promise and the pressure of a multi-sport Games campaign, with India’s athletes delivering strong wins in some events while falling just short in others.
Hockey: Abhishek’s Late Strike Seals a Nervy Win Over Pakistan
India’s defending champion men’s hockey team needed everything they had to see off arch-rivals Pakistan in the semi-final at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Kakamigahara. Captain Harmanpreet Singh struck twice from penalty corners, in the 5th and 13th minutes, before Sukhjeet Singh added a field goal in the 23rd minute to put India firmly ahead.
Pakistan clawed their way back into the contest in the second half, and the match remained on a knife’s edge heading into the closing stages, with a penalty shootout looming. With just seconds left on the clock, Abhishek found the net from open play to make it 4-3 and spark wild celebrations on the Indian bench.
The result sends India into the gold medal match, where they will face the winner of the other semi-final between Malaysia and South Korea, scheduled for Saturday. Pakistan’s campaign for a hockey medal now shifts to the bronze medal playoff.
Cricket: Kishan and Bumrah Blow Sri Lanka Away
While the hockey team was fighting for survival, India’s cricketers delivered a far more one-sided result. Put in to bat first at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, India posted 169 for 7, built around an unbeaten 80 off 46 balls from Ishan Kishan that included four fours and five sixes. Opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi chipped in with a rapid 38 off just 21 balls.
Sri Lanka’s reply fell apart almost immediately. India bowled the side out for just 45 runs in 9.5 overs, with Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel each taking two wickets, Abhishek Sharma claiming two wickets for only two runs, and Washington Sundar adding one more, as three Sri Lankan batters were also run out. The 124-run margin stands as India’s biggest win over Sri Lanka in the T20 format at the Games.
Why an India vs Pakistan Cricket Final Is Historic
The win over Sri Lanka sets up a gold medal match against Pakistan, who reached the final for the first time in the history of Asian Games men’s cricket. Captain Sahibzada Farhan’s side chased down a rain-reduced target of 112 against Bangladesh in the other semi-final, with an unbroken 59-run stand between Hasan Nawaz and Abdul Samad sealing a six-wicket win.
With both teams now through, Saturday’s final will mark the first time India and Pakistan have met in a men’s cricket gold medal match at the Asian Games, adding an extra layer of anticipation to what was already shaping up as one of the tournament’s marquee fixtures.
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Squash: A Fighting Bronze for the Women’s Team
Not every Indian result on the day ended in victory. The women’s squash team’s campaign came to a close with a bronze medal after a 1-2 semi-final defeat to Hong Kong. Anahat Singh lost a tightly contested opening match, before Tanvi Khanna produced a strong comeback win to level the tie and keep India’s hopes alive heading into the decisive match.
India ultimately could not complete the turnaround, but the bronze adds to the country’s growing medal tally in squash at this edition of the Games, continuing a run of podium finishes for the sport in recent editions.
Wrestling: Nitesh Siwach One Win From a 64-Year Landmark
In Greco-Roman wrestling, Nitesh Siwach delivered one of the standout individual performances of the day, defeating Mongolia’s Ganbaataryn Gankhuyag with a dominant 9-0 technical superiority win to reach the men’s 97kg final. The result means India has already secured at least a silver medal in the category, with Siwach now one win away from becoming the first Indian Greco-Roman wrestler to win an Asian Games gold since 1962.
India has historically managed only a handful of Greco-Roman medals at the Asian Games, making Siwach’s run to the final a notable achievement regardless of the final’s outcome.
Where This Leaves India at the Aichi-Nagoya Games
Thursday’s mixed results reflect the broad spread of India’s campaign at this edition of the Asian Games, with medal contention stretching across both team sports like hockey and cricket and individual disciplines like wrestling and squash. The cricket and hockey results in particular keep alive the possibility of gold medals in two of the country’s most closely followed sports on the same weekend.
For Pakistan, reaching the cricket final marks a genuine breakthrough, even as their hockey team now has to settle for a shot at bronze after falling to India in the semi-final.
What to Watch This Weekend
Saturday is shaping up as a landmark day for Indian sport at these Games. The men’s cricket final against Pakistan and the men’s hockey gold medal match against either Malaysia or South Korea are both scheduled, giving India a realistic shot at multiple golds within a short span.
Nitesh Siwach’s Greco-Roman 97kg final, against the winner of the semi-final between Iran’s Mehdi Balihamzehdeh and Japan’s Yuri Nakazato, will also be closely watched as he looks to end India’s six-decade wait for gold in the discipline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did India beat Pakistan in both hockey and cricket at the Asian Games 2026?
India beat Pakistan 4-3 in the men’s hockey semi-final. In cricket, India has not yet played Pakistan this tournament; the two teams will meet for the first time in the gold medal final after both won their respective semi-finals.
Who scored the winning goal for India against Pakistan in hockey?
Abhishek scored the winning goal from open play in the final minute of the match, completing a 4-3 win after India had led 3-1 before Pakistan fought back.
How did India dismiss Sri Lanka for just 45 runs?
India’s bowling attack, led by Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel and Abhishek Sharma with two wickets apiece, along with three run outs, bowled Sri Lanka out in 9.5 overs after posting 169 for 7 themselves.
Who will India play in the cricket final?
India will face Pakistan in the men’s cricket gold medal match, the first time the two nations have met in an Asian Games men’s cricket final.
What happened to India’s chances of a wrestling gold?
Nitesh Siwach reached the men’s Greco-Roman 97kg final with a 9-0 win over Mongolia’s Ganbaataryn Gankhuyag, guaranteeing India at least a silver and a shot at ending a 64-year wait for gold in the category.