Pakistan finished third at the Under-18 Asia Cup hockey tournament in Japan after beating Malaysia 3-0 in the third-place playoff.
Pakistan reached the semifinals but fell short against India in a closely contested match that ended 5-3 on Friday.
India took the lead in the 12th minute through a penalty stroke converted by Ashish Tani. Pakistan levelled through a fine goal from Adeel in the second quarter, and the score remained 1-1 at half time.
The third quarter saw the tempo rise sharply. India scored to retake the lead, but Pakistan responded with two quick goals to move ahead 3-2.
However, Pakistan could not hold on in the fourth and final quarter. Ashish Tani scored three consecutive goals to seal a 5-3 victory for India, finishing the match with four goals including a hat-trick.
Despite the semifinal exit, Pakistan recovered to secure the bronze medal with a convincing 3-0 win over Malaysia in the third-place match.
The final will be played between India and Japan today.
