India were knocked out of the Hockey WC after the hosts endured a tough 4-5 defeat in the penalty shootout against NZ in the must-win encounter.
India's hopes of advancing to the quarter-finals of the Hockey World Cup 2023 were dashed on Sunday, as the hosts fell to New Zealand in a must-win crossover match at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. The match remained scoreless through the first quarter, with neither side able to create any real opportunities. In the dying minutes, India's Harmanpreet Singh almost broke the deadlock, but his effort was thwarted by Simon Child.
In the opening quarter, the New Zealand captain was issued a two-minute suspension after receiving a green card for tackling India's Abhishek. Lalit Kumar Upadhyay then gave India a decisive advantage in the second quarter, as he expertly slotted a goal into the left corner.
Lalit sprinted in after Akashdeep secured the ball and passed it to Shamsher, who then sent it to Lalit who capitalized on the opportunity in the 18th minute. India earned a penalty corner, but this time Lalit was unable to convert it. Seven minutes later, Sukhjeet Singh extended India's lead to 2-0 with a decisive strike.
Sukhjeet earned a touch in a penalty corner as he deflected the ball off the rebound of Harmanpreet Singh's attempt to score. Soon after, New Zealand clawed their way back into the game through Sam Lane in the 29th minute. Lane and Child worked together to set up Lane's goal near the backline, leaving India and New Zealand tied at 2-1 as they headed into the half-time break.
India earned another penalty corner in the third quarter and Varun Kumar scored a goal in the 41st minute, flicking the ball through the legs of New Zealand goalkeeper Dixon and sending the hosts into a state of jubilation as they led 3-1. However, their joy was short-lived as Kane Russell converted a penalty corner to keep New Zealand alive in the match.
In the fourth quarter, New Zealand won a penalty corner and Sean Findlay found the ball off the rebound in the 50th minute, equalizing the score at 3-3. India soon won a penalty corner of their own, but failed to capitalize on the opportunity. Simon Child had almost taken New Zealand home, but India's Pathak saved it by a hair's breadth, taking the match into a dramatic shootout.
Shamsher Singh's three missed penalty strokes and PR Sreejesh's injury in the shootout resulted in India's heartbreaking 4-5 loss to New Zealand in the elimination round. The Kiwis will now face Belgium in the quarterfinals, while India will face Japan in the Classification round.
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