India, Aug. 18 -- Pakistan hockey great Samiullah Khan has urged his country to deny India an early foothold when the arch-rivals meet in a crucial FIH World Cup pool clash on Wednesday, identifying penalty-corner defence as one of the keys to Pakistan keeping their campaign alive. The equation leaves little room for error for Pakistan. They need a victory to remain in contention, while India can secure progression to the next round with a draw. Against that backdrop, Samiullah believes Pakistan's first task must be to withstand India's early pressure and prevent their opponents from earning set-piece opportunities.

"I would advise Pakistan captain to keep a compact defence and not concede any penalty corners to India in the first quarte...