Pakistan Sweep Arch-Rivals India 3-0 to Storm Into Asian Games Volleyball Semi-Finals

Murad Khan leads Green-shirts to commanding quarter-final victory

Sports Desk

NAGOYA: Pakistan delivered a superb all-round performance to sweep arch-rivals India 3-0 in the men’s volleyball quarter-final at the Asian Games on Thursday, booking their place in the semi-finals and ending India’s campaign at the tournament.

Pakistan sealed the emphatic victory with scores of 25-19, 25-23 and 25-18, defeating India at the Asian Games for the second consecutive edition.

Murad Khan was the star of the show, producing a match-high 22 points to spearhead Pakistan’s attack. Usman Faryad Ali contributed nine points, while Mohammad Hamad added eight and Musawer Khan seven. Captain Murad Jehan also made his contribution with four points.

Ranked 39th in the world compared with India’s 49th, Pakistan entered the knockout stage after recording wins over Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, beating them 3-1 and 3-0 respectively. They then suffered a straight-sets defeat to hosts Japan in their final pool match but still finished runners-up in Pool A.

India, meanwhile, came into the quarter-final unbeaten. They had opened their campaign with 3-0 victories over Vietnam and Hong Kong before being pushed to the limit by Qatar in a marathon five-set encounter lasting three hours. The result saw India finish top of Pool C.

Pakistan made their intentions clear from the outset, controlling the opening set and eventually winning it 25-19 in 23 minutes. Their attacking play proved particularly effective, with Pakistan converting 70 per cent of their spikes compared with India’s 41 per cent.

The second set provided the closest contest of the match and ultimately proved decisive. The two sides remained level at 9-9 before Pakistan moved two points ahead. India responded strongly, drawing level at 13-13 and then taking the initiative to establish a 15-13 lead.

The Indians extended their advantage to 16-13, but Pakistan refused to let the set slip away. They fought back to level the score at 16-16, only for India to restore their three-point advantage at 19-16.

Pakistan then produced their most important passage of the match. A three-point run brought them level at 19-19, before they took advantage of their serve to move ahead 21-19.

India continued to fight and narrowed the deficit to 22-20 and then 23-21, but Pakistan held their nerve at the crucial moments. They reached set point at 24-22. India saved the first opportunity, but Pakistan converted the second to take the set 25-23 after a 34-minute battle.

The statistics reflected Pakistan’s growing control as the match progressed. Their reception improved significantly in the second set, while sharper digging helped them keep difficult rallies alive and put India under increasing pressure.

The third set belonged almost entirely to Pakistan. They opened the scoring and quickly established a three-point advantage before India managed to get on the board. India briefly reduced the gap to 3-2 and later 6-4, but Pakistan quickly regained control.

The Green-shirts moved ahead 8-4 and continued to widen the gap, leading 14-9 before extending their advantage to 17-10. Their combination of aggressive attacking at the net and disciplined defence left India struggling to find a way back into the contest.

Pakistan soon moved to match point at 24-16. India saved two match points and briefly raised hopes of another fightback, but Pakistan remained composed and finished the job on their third opportunity, taking the set 25-18 in 25 minutes.

The victory sparked celebrations among the Pakistani players, who shook hands with their Indian counterparts at the net after the final point. The comprehensive win sends Pakistan into the Asian Games semi-finals and keeps their hopes of securing a medal firmly alive.