A below-par show against debutants Wales denying them a direct quarterfinal berth, hosts India would look to address their attacking woes against a plucky New Zealand for a place in the last-eight stage of the FIH Men s Hockey World Cup on Sunday
India were left with a mountain to climb following England’s 4-0 spanking of Spain in the preceding game if they wanted to top Pool D to advance directly to the quarterfinals and avoid playing the extra crossover game. They had to beat Wales by an eight-goal margin, something which they’d never done in a FIH World Cup game - their biggest win being a 7-0 defeat of Ghana way
With three wins from as many games, The Netherlands finished at the top of Pool ‘C’ with maximum nine points, while Malaysia were second with six points from two victories