England beat India to go top of Pro League

Sam Ward scored twice as England went top of the Pro League table with a feisty 3-2 win over India in Bhubaneswar.

England took the lead through Jacob Payton's strike from a tight angle in the first quarter but were soon pegged back in the second after Abhishek Nain finished from close range.

Moments later Ward tapped England back in front on the break and then put the visitors 3-1 ahead with a powerful strike on the spin just before half-time.

After the restart India wrestled back the momentum and, in a half littered with on-field reviews, halved the deficit through Sukhjeet Singh.

But England held on in the final 20 minutes, thanks in large part to goalkeeper James Mazarelo.

The result meant England went top of the Pro League, above Belgium on goal difference.

England men's best performance since the Pro League's inception in 2019 was a second-placed finish in 2024-24.

India and England face each other again in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday (14:00 GMT).