India, Aug. 19 -- Just like in cricket, the numbers behind hockey's greatest rivalry do not quite do justice to the hype that has endured through the decades. And yet, the 10,000-capacity Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen, Netherlands, is sold out for Wednesday's Pool D clash at the 2026 FIH Men's Hockey World Cup, with a place in the next round at stake in what has become a do-or-die contest.

The story of India and Pakistan in hockey, however, has been vastly different from that in cricket. Both teams have endured similar struggles after once standing at the pinnacle of the sport. India won Olympic gold eight times and lifted the World Cup in 1975, while Pakistan claimed three Olympic titles and a record four World Cups.

Yet, the two forme...