Pakistan field hockey player Rehan Butt (R) celebrates with teammates
© AFP Manan Vatsyayana

CHENNAI, India (AFP) - Defending champions Spain brushed aside Germany 5-2 to take the bronze in a match played in heavy rain that drenched the synthetic surface and slowed down play.

Veteran Pol Amat and Santiago Freixa scored two goals each for Spain, who won their maiden Champions Trophy title in Lahore, Pakistan, last December.

Olympic gold-medallists Australia will clash with the Netherlands in the final later on Sunday.

Pakistan, trailing 0-2 by the 14th minute Sunday, scored on either side of the interval to draw level with India and then pumped in two more goals to seal a splendid victory.

India, who had defeated Pakistan 3-2 in the preliminary league last week, narrowed the margin through captain Gagan Ajit Singh five minutes from the end, but failed to get the equaliser.

India, beaten by Pakistan in a Champions Trophy classification match for the fourth consecutive year, will not feature in next year's tournament in Spain.

Kanwalpreet Singh scored off India's first penalty corner and Prabhjot Singh deflected in a pass from the right as the hosts took a 2-0 lead in the first quarter.

Pakistan, who finished last in the league, made it 1-2 just before half-time when Mohammad Imran converted the first of three penalty corners the team earned in quick succession.

Pakistan drew level soon after the interval when Akhtar Ali, taking a back pass from Shakeel Abbasi, beat goalkeeper Bharat Chetri from the top of the circle.

India's desperation to stop repeated rival attacks resulted in Pakistan's third goal in the 48th minute when Kanwalpreet fouled Rehan Butt inside the circle and Mohammad Saqlain easily converted the penalty stroke.

Butt himself scored eight minutes before the final whistle to make it 4-2, a scoreline that was beyond India's reach despite Gagan Ajit's late goal.

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