Pakistan’s dramatic second-half comeback fell just short as India defeated the Green Shirts 4-3 in a thrilling Asian Games men’s hockey semi-final in Japan on Thursday.

India took control early, with captain Harmanpreet Singh converting penalty corners in the fifth and 13th minutes. Sukhjeet Singh then extended the lead to 3-0 in the 23rd minute.

Pakistan pulled one back before half-time through captain Abu Bakar Mahmood, who converted a penalty corner in the 30th minute.

The Green Shirts continued their fightback after the break. Abdul Hannan Shahid scored in the 45th minute before Rana Waheed Ashraf completed the comeback by making it 3-3 in the 49th minute.

With the match heading towards a potential shootout, India’s Abhishek scored the decisive goal with less than a minute remaining. His deflected effort beat Pakistan goalkeeper Muneeb-ur-Rehman Raza and sent India into the gold-medal match.

Pakistan will now play for the bronze medal on Saturday, while India will face the winner of the Malaysia-South Korea semi-final in the final.