Pakistan crush India 3-0 to reach Asian Games volleyball semis

Pakistan’s men’s volleyball team produced a commanding performance to beat arch-rivals India 3-0 and reach the semi-finals of the Asian Games in Japan on Thursday.

Pakistan won 25-19, 25-23, 25-18 at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium, beating India at the Asian Games for the second edition in a row and ending India’s campaign, Dawn reported.

Murad Khan leads the way

Murad Khan was the star with a match-high 22 points. Pakistan’s other scorers included:

• Usman Faryad Ali: 9 points
• Mohammad Hamad: 8 points
• Musawer Khan: 7 points
• Captain Murad Jehan: 4 points

Set by set

First set, 25-19: Pakistan set the tone, taking the opener in just 23 minutes. India could not cope with Pakistan’s attack, managing a spike success rate of 41 percent against Pakistan’s 70 percent.

Second set, 25-23: This was the turning point. India led 16-13 and then 19-16, and looked set to level the match. But a three-point burst brought Pakistan back to 19-19, and they moved ahead 21-19 on their own serve. India kept fighting, but Pakistan converted their second set point to take the set in 34 minutes. Sharper digging and better reception made the difference.

Third set, 25-18: One-way traffic. Pakistan pulled away from 8-4 to 14-9 and 17-10, dominating at the net and in defence. India saved two match points at 24-16, but Pakistan closed it out on the third to finish in 25 minutes.

Players from both sides shook hands at the net after the match.

India were unbeaten

The win was all the more impressive because India came into the knockout stage unbeaten. They had swept Vietnam and Hong Kong 3-0, then survived a five-set, three-hour marathon against Qatar to top Pool C.

Pakistan, ranked 39th in the world to India’s 49th, beat Kazakhstan 3-1 and Uzbekistan 3-0 before losing in straight sets to hosts Japan, finishing second in Pool A.

Overcoming the chaos

The result caps a tough week for the team off the court. On Monday, they were driven to the wrong arena for their match against Uzbekistan, delaying it by 45 minutes. Captain Murad Jehan called it “another mismanagement by Japan”, and organisers apologised.

One win from a medal

A semi-final win would guarantee Pakistan a medal. It comes on a big day for Pakistani sport in Japan: the cricket team beat Bangladesh to reach Saturday’s final, and the hockey team play India in their semi-final at 12:30pm.

Why it matters

Volleyball does not get the attention of cricket or hockey in Pakistan, but this team is proving it belongs among Asia’s best. Beating India in straight sets, on the way to a possible medal, is a result the whole country can celebrate. Read our reports on the cricket team reaching the final and on the bus mix-ups at the Games.

This article draws on reporting by Dawn.