Defending champion India conceded a late equaliser to allow Pakistan to walk away with a 1-1 draw in their opening Asia Cup Hockey Pool A match here on Monday.

Debutant Karthi Selvam gave India the lead in the ninth minute before Abdul Rana levelled in the 59th via a penalty corner. Both sides secured penalty corners early on in the contest, but failed to make use of them. India continued to pile the pressure on the Pakistan defence and earned two more PCs in the first quarter, the second of which was converted by Karthi.

The Tamil Nadu player flicked the ball, which took a deflection off the stick of Pakistan’s Muhammad Abdullah before going in. At the start of the second quarter, Pakistan goalkeeper Akmal Hussain made a fine save to deny Pawan Rajbhar from point-blank range.

Pakistan looked brighter after the change of ends as India custodian Suraj Karkera was forced to make a brilliant save to stop Rana from sounding the board. Thereafter, India created a flurry of chances while searching for its second goal, but Pakistan shotstopper Hussain was there to keep the score intact.

Tamil Nadu players Karthi Selvam and Mareeswaren Sakthivel made their India debut against Pakistan

A lapse in concentration cost India dearly as a long ball caught the defence off guard in the penultimate minute and resulted in a penalty corner. Rana put the ball in from the rebound after Mubashar Ali’s flick was saved at the goal line by Yashdeep Siwach. Karthi’s Tamil Nadu teammate Mareeswaren Sakthivel also made his India debut on Monday.