India and Pakistan played out a pulsating 3-3 draw in their Sultan of Johor Cup game on Tuesday.

The much-anticipated clash at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Malaysia saw Pakistan storm to a 2-0 lead before India fought back in spirited fashion to take a 3-2 advantage, only for their arch-rivals to level the scores late on.

The result kept India’s unbeaten run in the U-21 tournament intact.

For India, Araijeet Singh Hundal (43’), Sourabh Anand Kushwaha (47’) and Manmeet Singh (53’) were on target, while Pakistan’s goals came through Hannan Shahid (5’) and Sufyan Khan (39’, 55’).

India began brightly, dominating possession and forcing several early circle penetrations that put Pakistan under pressure.

But against the run of play, Pakistan struck first through a quick counterattack that earned them a penalty stroke.

Captain Hannan Shahid converted confidently, sending the ball low to the goalkeeper’s right. Moments later, Sufyan doubled the lead with a precise finish from a penalty corner.

Undeterred, India pressed on and were rewarded late in the quarter when they earned a penalty stroke, which Hundal converted with composure to halve the deficit.

The equaliser came soon after, as Kushwaha’s well-placed strike made it 2-2.

Riding on momentum, India adopted a more attacking approach in the second half, and their persistence bore fruit when Manmeet found the back of the net to put his team ahead for the first time.

However, Pakistan refused to relent, with Sufyan scoring his second goal from a penalty corner to secure a 3-3 draw.

Before the first whistle, Indian players exchanged high-fives with their Pakistani counterparts after the national anthems.

At full time, both teams shook hands, a gesture that stood out amid recent tensions in other sports.

Just weeks ago, during the Asia Cup cricket tournament, the Indian team led by Suryakumar Yadav had declined to shake hands with Pakistan following Operation Sindoor.