Bhubaneswar – India’s dreams in the Hockey World Cup ended before the quarter. Indian team’s quarter final hopes ended when they lost to New Zealand in the cross over round match. With both teams tied with 3 goals apiece in regulation time, a penalty shootout sealed India’s fate. New Zealand will face defending champions Belgium in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.
Lalit Upadhyay, Sukhjeet Singh and Varun Kumar scored goals for India in the allotted time in a thrilling match at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. With New Zealand returning all 3 goals, the match entered the shootout. In the shootout, New Zealand defeated India by 5 goals against 4 and entered the quarter.
India finished second behind England in Pool D. New Zealand were third in Pool C. The two teams have met 44 times before, while India won 24 games. New Zealand won 15 matches while 5 matches were drawn. Unbeaten in the tournament, India could not bring out the best in the crucial match. The poor form of the forward line was evident in the last game against Wales.
India suffered a setback when midfielder Hardik Singh was left out of the team after his injury did not heal. New Zealand, ranked 12th in the world, has previously won only one match in Pool C. 2 lost the match. India is ranked 6th in the world.
English Summary: India vs New Zealand, Hockey World Cup 2023 Highlights: India Out Of Quarter-final Race After Loss To New Zealand In Shootout
