LAHORE, Dec 5: Inspired by two-goal Sohail Abbas, Pakistan bounced back from 1-0 down with a second half charge to score a 3-1 victory over a plucky New Zealand in the Champions Trophy hockey at National Hockey Stadium on Sunday.

Lacking in firepower and finishing touch in the first half, Pakistan battled to open the score from the outset but remained goal less, although they came near scoring a number of times. Not only was the score line the same in the beginning as it was against Germany on Saturday, New Zealand did what they had claimed to give a day earlier - a testing time to Pakistan.

The hosts commenced with a Kashif Jawwad attack within four minutes of the game, but umpire Ged Curran whistled for a foul as two minutes later. Kashif again missed an opportunity when he hit the side-netting following a brilliant one-two with Shakeel Abbasi.

It was perhaps the rugby-style traditional Haka performed by New Zealand hockey players before the match which motivated the visitors to press for the goal and to contain the Pakistanis. The home team had a close shave when not-so-lucky New Zealand returned frustrated after their indirect effort through an eighth-minute penalty corner rattled the upright.

While lady luck deserted the Kiwis, goal-shy Pakistanis kept on squandering gilt-edged chances. Kashif was again the culprit as he missed a sitter in the 13th minute after a Rehan Butt reverse hit was padded away by New Zealand goalkeeper Paul Woolford.

Mohammad Saqlain came off the bench only to try and miss the target through a reverse flick. Pakistan remained without a goal even after forcing the first of the three short corners, Sohail push being blocked by a New Zealand dasher in the 30th minute. But the alarm bell rang for Pakistan four minutes into second session when New Zealand broke the ice with a 39th-minute short corner conversion by Ryan Archibald. Boosted by the goal, New Zealand pinned the Pakistanis in their own half with an intention to double the lead and to prevent the host from forcing penalty corners.

Pakistan eventually opened the score when Ghazanfar Ali tricked his way past the New Zealand defence down the right to square an inch-perfect minus pass given a clinical finish by Shakeel to put the game on an even keel in the 49th minute.

The leveller and continuous manoeuvres by Pakistan knocked the life out of New Zealand, especially when Sohail slotted home the second with a knee-high, slow push past Woolford in the 53rd minute.

Rehan cleverly set up Shakeel two minutes later but all he could do was to claim a penalty corner following a foul by a New Zealand defender in the circle. Sohail did not disappoint a paltry but partisan and vociferous Sunday crowd as full back's low drag-flick once again stunned Woolford and the defenders.

In the other match of the day, India gave defending champions The Netherlands a big scare before losing 4-5 after a thrilling encounter. India went 1-0 up in the 5th minute through Vivek Gupta but the Dutch were quick to respond as Geert Jan Derikx equalised five minutes later and Taeke Taekema took lead in the 16th minute.

India came back with a V.S. Vinaya goal in the 20th minute to make it 2-2. The Netherlands again went 4-2 ahead through Teun de Nooijer and Karel Klaver in the 25th and 34th minutes.

The Indians reduced the margin with a 45th-minute Arjun Halappa penalty stroke conversion, while Nooijer got his double in the 59th minute. India netted their fourth through Vikram Pillay in the 61st minute but failed to equalise.

Albert Sala scored twice to help Spain score a 5-2 win over Germany. Apart from Sala (20th and 70th minutes), Juan Escarre (40th minute), Eduard Arbos (41st minute) and Pau Quemada (67th minute) were other scorers. Florian Keller (25th, 55th minutes) was the scorer from Germany. Matches resume on Tuesday after Monday's rest.

Pakistan 3 New Zealand 1

The Netherlands 5 India 4

Spain 5 Germany 2

STANDINGS