BHUBANESWAR: A cracker of a contest is on the cards when a confident India takes on a resurgent Pakistan in what promises to be a battle of attrition between the two traditional rivals at the Hero Champions Trophy hockey tournament, here on Saturday.

 Having peaked when it mattered most, both the sides will be desperate to upstage each other to assert their supremacy.

 The match also provides India an opportunity to avenge their defeat at the hands of Pakistan in the bronze medal match in the last edition of the elite eight-nation tournament held at Melbourne in 2012.

 But going by present form and record, India definitely will enjoy an upper-hand over their neighbours.

 The Kalinga Stadium Hockey Complex, the new international venue for hockey, has the capacity to accommodate only 7,000 spectators. But the enthusiasm to watch the high-voltage Champions Trophy semifinal clash between the sub-continental giants has increased so much that a 50,000-capacity stadium would not have been enough to accommodate the audience.  ENS/Agencies More: P15
Source : NIE