12.08 am: Well, that’s that then. Damp squib! Good night, folks.

Hockey India: India and Pakistan have been declared as joint winners of the Hero Asian Champions Trophy 2018 due to the Final being forfeited.

12.03 am: Not good news , folks. (Although not sure what ‘stay tuned’ means here)

11.58 pm: Seeing as there is no hockey to talk about now, here’s some reading for you.

After failing to defend hockey gold at Asian Games, India will need to take a long, winding road to Tokyo Olympics. Read here.

11.55 pm: Here’s a hint of an update... (cannot verify authenticity at the moment)

11.49 pm: Well, not exactly true. Hockey matches have been delayed or interrupted by rain in the past (when it’s accompanied by thunder and lightning) but this tweet does have a point. Lack of information in this day and age is pretty frustrating.

11.41 pm: The lack of updates is not going down well with hockey fans.

11.36 pm: So the only match India didn’t win in this tournament was a 0-0 draw against recent nemesis Malaysia. And coach Harendra Singh wasn’t pleased with his wards after that match.

“I am not happy at the way our strikers continue to miss scoring opportunities. The strikers need to work harder. Things will not come on a platter every time. We have to do better inside the circle.”

And to be fair, India did improve in the next match against Korea but showed signs of rustiness against a young Japan side in the semifinal.

(Meanwhile, no update from Oman. There is radio silence from the official handle and the broadcasters so we have nothing new to report)

11.15 pm: This is what coach Harendra Singh had to say before the tournament began, regarding the importance of doing well in Muscat.

“After the semi-final loss in the Asian Games, the mood was not good for a few days. The disappointment of not winning the Asian Games gold is still playing on the minds of the players somewhat, but we cannot keep thinking of the past,” he said.

“We are now focused on this tournament and the side is shaping well. Nine of our players scored goals against Oman in the first outing here. A victory here in the Asian Champions Trophy will be a good path for the World Cup just over a month away. This tournament is close to the World Cup, we need competitive matches and we are getting them.”

11.12 pm: Just a reminder of India’s starting XI. No updates from Oman just as yet.

Harmanpreet Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Surender Kumar, Manpreet Singh (C), Gurjant Singh, Lalit Upadhyay, PR Sreejesh (GK), Nilakanta Sharma, Varun Kumar, Akashdeep Singh, Chinglensana Singh

10.58 pm: The last time India and Pakistan faced each other (in the group stages of this tournament) Mandeep Singh scored one of the most wonderful goals you’ll see this year. A delightful flick between his legs. Manpreet Singh also scored a fantastic solo goal, dribbling past Pakistan defenders for fun, as India came from 1-0 down to win 3-1.

Here’s the match report of that game.

10.54 pm: An inconsistent Indian team managed to get the better of Asian Games gold medallist Japan 3-2 to set up a Asian Champions Trophy final against Pakistan on Saturday.

Unbeaten in the league stage, India rode on goals from Gurjant Singh (19th minute), Chinglensana Kangujam (44th) and Dilpreet Singh (55th) to defeat Japan, who found the net twice through Hirotaka Wakuri (22nd) and Hirotaka Zendana (56th).

Read more about that match here.

10.50 pm: While we wait for news about one big rivalry to start, there’s an update on another mega sporting rivalry.

Real Madrid fans, our condolences. A Luis Suarez hat-trick has allowed Barcelona to beat Real Madrid 5-1 at Camp Nou. Yup.

10.43 pm: Inspection in another 25 minutes is the official word from Muscat. The rain only seems to have gotten heavier.

10.36 pm: It’s absolutely pouring down in Muscat, Oman at the moment! Downpour, with thunder and lightning.

10.26 pm: India are unbeaten in the tournament, with only draw against Malaysia. They have been quite the dominant force. But a final is a whole different ball-game isn’t it?

10.15 pm: Here’s a look at the starting line-up for India.

Good evening, everyone, and welcome to The Field’s live blog for the final of the 2018 Asian Champions Trophy hockey, where arch-rivals India and Pakistan will lock horns for the gold.

An inconsistent Indian team managed to get the better of Asian Games gold medallist Japan 3-2 on Saturday in the semi-finals, while Pakistan defeated Malaysia through a penalty shoot-out after their semi-final had ended 4-4 in regulation time.

India have already beaten Pakistan in this tournament – a 3-1 win in the round-robin stage inspired by Manpreet Singh – despite the men in green taking the early lead. India had also beaten Pakistan in the bronze-medal playoff at the Asian Games in August.